Pork Belly Rice Bowls with Spinach and Egg
Serves 2, generously · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 1 hour 40 minutes · Total: about 2 hours, mostly unattended
Make the pork the day before if you have time. Once it is chilled, it slices neatly and only needs a few minutes in the pan before dinner.
Ingredients
Pork belly
- 1 pound skinless pork belly
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
Bowls
- 3 cups hot cooked short-grain rice
- 6 to 8 ounces fresh spinach
- 2 large eggs
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Braise the pork
Cut the pork belly into 2 or 3 large pieces so it fits snugly in a small saucepan. Add the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, water, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- 2
Simmer covered
Lower the heat, cover, and cook for about 1½ hours, turning the pork every 30 minutes. The liquid should bubble quietly, not boil hard. Add a splash of water if the pot starts looking dry. The pork is ready when a knife slides in easily but the meat still holds together.
- 3
Cool the pork
Remove the pork from the pot and let it cool for at least 20 minutes. For the cleanest slices, refrigerate it for 30 minutes or overnight.
- 4
Reduce the sauce
Strain the braising liquid and discard the ginger and garlic. Return about ½ cup of the liquid to the saucepan. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, until it is slightly thickened and glossy. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't reduce it until syrupy.
- 5
Cook the spinach
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, just until wilted. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water. Squeeze out the excess water. Season with a pinch of salt and a few drops of sesame oil.
- 6
Make the scallion topping
Place the sliced scallions in a heatproof bowl. Heat the neutral oil in a small pan until hot but not smoking, then pour it over the scallions. Stir in the toasted sesame oil and a small pinch of salt. Let the scallions sit for 5 minutes.
- 7
Cook the eggs
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Lower in the eggs and cook for 7 minutes for a soft center, 9 minutes for a mostly set center, or 11 minutes for a fully cooked yolk. Transfer the eggs to cold water, peel, and cut in half.
- 8
Brown the pork
Slice the cooled pork belly into pieces about ⅜ to ½ inch thick. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until browned around the edges.
- 9
Glaze the pork
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reduced sauce and turn the pork briefly to coat. Remove it from the pan as soon as the sauce looks glossy — it can burn quickly because of the sugar.
- 10
Assemble
Divide the rice between two bowls. Spoon a little sauce over the rice, then add the spinach, pork belly, and egg. Pile the scallions over the pork and finish with black pepper. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Recipe notes
Cook’s notes
- Use microwaveable short-grain rice and frozen spinach to bring the whole bowl together in about 20 minutes.
Equipment & shortcuts
- Easy shortcut: use prepared char siu, roast pork, or packaged chashu from an Asian market. Warm the sliced pork in a skillet with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon water, and ½ teaspoon brown sugar.
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