Roasted five spice pork belly rice bowl

Tam West

Juicy pork slices are a faster and cheaper way of enjoying belly pork.

Ingredients

1 kg	Pork belly, slices, I get them at the supermarket (Main)
1 ½ tsp	Salt
1 tsp	Chinese five spice (Main)
3 cups	Jasmine rice, well rinsed in cold water and drained (Main)
2 Tbsp	Chilli bean sauce
4 Tbsp	Naturally brewed soy sauce, Japanese
½	Iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
2	Spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
250 g	Cherry tomatoes, halved
½	Cucumbers, peeled, split in half lengthways, diced 2cm
1 sprinkle	Coriander sprigs, and sweet chilli sauce for serving

Directions

1. Put the pork, salt and five spice powder into a large mixing bowl and mix well with your hands, rubbing the salt and five spice all over the pork. Reserve for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 220C. Place the pork slices side-by-side on an oven rack set over a shallow oven tray. Roast for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 200C and roast for a further 20-30 minutes or until the pork is well cooked and crisp.
3. Meanwhile, use a rice cooker to cook the rice or place it in a saucepan and add enough water to come 1.5cm above the level of the rice. Bring to a rolling boil then move to your smallest stove element, cover and turn the heat to the lowest setting. Cook without uncovering for any reason for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and, without uncovering, allow to stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and gently fluff up the rice with a fork — but don't mash the rice grains. Cover and reserve.
5. Mix the chilli bean sauce and soy sauce together. Pour into a small serving bowl and reserve.
6. Remove the pork from the oven and slice, discarding any bones and gristle.
7. Put some rice into each of 6 bowls and pile the lettuce, spring onions, tomatoes, cucumber, pork and coriander on top. Serve with the chilli bean/soy sauce mixture and sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

More of Ray's autumnal dinner recipes

• Pasta with eggplant and broccoli
• Moroccan-style fish and potatoes