Glazed Citrus-Soy Pork Belly with Plantain Crisps, Pickled Golden Beets, & Aleppo Chili Aioli
Ingredients
Citrus-SoyBraised Pork Belly
- 3 pounds pork belly, skin on
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot, roughly chopped
Pork Belly Glaze
- Reserved and strained pork belly braising liquid
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Pinch of salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp arrowroot
- Small amount of cold water for slurry
Crispy Plantains
- Green plantains
- Ice water
- Neutral oil for deep frying
- Salt, as needed
Pickled Golden Beets
- Golden beets, peeled and finelyjulienned, approximately 3/4–1 inch long by 1/16 inch thick
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 7 sprigs fresh thyme
- Pinch of salt
Pickled Beet Stems
- Stems from the golden beets, finely sliced on the bias
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 2 tsp salt
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- Fresh chives, cut into approximately 4-inch batonnets
Aleppo-Dijon Aioli
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup grapeseed oil
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 tbsp stone-ground Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Aleppo pepper
- Salt to taste
Shimeji Mushrooms
- Shimeji mushrooms
- Small amount of oil for sautéing
- Salt to taste
CrispyBeet Leaves & Garnish
- Leaves reserved from the golden beets
- Neutral oil for frying
- Beet microgreens
Instructions
Braise and Press the Pork Belly
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Place the pork belly, skin-side up, in a braising pan or other oven-safe vessel.
- Combine the orange juice and zest, lime juice and zest, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, water, ginger, garlic, and roughly chopped shallot. Pour the mixture around the pork belly.
- The braising liquid should come approximately one-half to three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pork belly rather than completely covering it.
- Cover tightly and braise for approximately 3 1/2hours, or until the pork belly is tender.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.
- Place a sheet of parchment directly over the pork belly, top with another sheet pan or flat pan, and place a heavy weight on top. Refrigerate overnight.
- Pressing the pork belly as it chills compacts the layers of meat and fat and creates a firm, uniform piece that can be cut cleanly for the finished appetizer.
- Strain the braising liquid into a separate container and refrigerate overnight.
Make the Braising-Liquid Glaze
- The following day, remove and discard or reserve the solidified fat from the chilled braising liquid.
- Place the strained, defatted liquid in a saucepan and reduce by approximately half.
- Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and continue reducing until the flavors are concentrated and balanced between savory, salty, sweet, citrus, and umami.
- Taste and add a small pinch of salt as needed to bring out the flavors.
- Combine approximately 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot with a small amount of cold water to make a smooth slurry.
- Bring the reduced braising liquid to a boil. Slowly whisk in the arrowroot slurry until the sauce lightly thickens and develops a glossy consistency that will coat the pork.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- The finished glaze should coat the pork without becoming overly thick or heavy.
Portion and Crisp the Pork Belly
- Remove the pressed pork belly from the refrigerator. Remove the skin.
- Cut the pork belly into pieces approximately:1/4 inch thick × 1/2 inch wide × 1 inch long
- Heat neutral frying oil. Deep-fry the pork belly pieces briefly until the exterior develops alight crispness while the interior remains tender.
- Drain well.
- Place the warm pork belly pieces into the reduced braising-liquid glaze and gently toss or turn until evenly coated.
- Set aside and keep warm for assembly.
Make the Crispy Plantains
- Peel the green plantains and cut each plantain in half.
- Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut lengthwise or on an elongated bias into slices approximately 1/8 inch thick, creating pieces large enough to serve as the base of the appetizer.
- Place the sliced plantains in ice water for approximately 30 minutes. This helps remove excess surface starch and promotes a crisp texture when fried.
- Drain thoroughly and dry the slices very well before placing them into hot oil.
- Deep-fry the plantain slices for approximately 2–3 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp. Drain well and season lightly with salt if desired.
- Once cooled, break or cut the larger plantain crisps in half as needed to create pieces appropriately sized for a one- to two-bite hors d’oeuvre.
- Two green plantains should provide approximately enough crisps for 40to 50 finished appetizers, depending on the size of the plantains and the individual slices.
Pickle the Golden Beets
- Peel the golden beets.
- Using a mandoline, finely julienne the beets into pieces approximately 3/4–1 inch long and about 1/16 inch thick.
- Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, thyme, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over low heat.
- Warm only until the sugar and salt dissolve. Do not boil.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the pickling liquid to another container. Allow it to cool before adding the shredded beets so they retain their fresh texture and crunch.
- Add the beets to the cooled pickling liquid and refrigerate for approximately 3–4 hours.
- Drain well before plating.
Pickle the Beet Stems
- Separate the beet leaves from their stems, reserving the leaves for the crispy garnish.
- Finely slice the beet stems on the bias.
- Combine the rice vinegar, mirin, salt, thyme, and chive batonnets. Warm the brine gently enough to dissolve and combine the ingredients, then allow it to cool until lukewarm.
- Add the sliced beet stems to the lukewarm brine and refrigerate until pickled.
- Before plating, drain the stems well and combine them with the pickled golden beets.
- This creates a colorful, acidic garnish while utilizing another edible part of the beet that might otherwise be discarded.
Make the Aleppo-Dijon Aioli
- Place the egg, lemon juice, stone-ground Dijon mustard, Aleppo pepper, and a small amount of salt into a blender. Blend until combined.
- With the blender running, add the grapeseed oil very slowly in a steady stream until the mixture emulsifies and becomes thick and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
- Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Sauté the Shimeji Mushrooms
- Separate the shimeji mushrooms into attractive individual mushrooms or small clusters.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a sauté pan. Lightly sauté the mushrooms just until tender, seasoning with asmall amount of salt.
- Avoid overcooking so the mushrooms retain their shape, delicate texture, and visual contrast.
- Set aside for plating.
Make the Crispy Beet Leaves
- Select attractive leaves from the golden beets.
- Blanch the leaves briefly, then remove and allow them to dry thoroughly until completely dry to the touch.
- Deep-fry the dried beet leaves until crisp.
- Drain carefully and set aside.
- The fried leaf serves both as a dramatic presentation element and as another example of utilizing the beet from root to leaf.
Assembly and Plating
- Place one crispy fried beet leaf on the serving plate.
- Position a crispy plantain on top of the beet leaf.
- Place a small dab of Aleppo-Dijon aioli on the plantain. This adds flavor while also helping anchor the pork belly.
- Place one piece of glazed pork belly over the aioli.
- Top with a small amount of the drained pickled golden beet and beet-stem mixture.
- Add a second piece of glazed pork belly, followed by another small amount of the pickled beet mixture.
- Lean one lightly sautéed shimeji mushroom against or alongside the composition.
- Finish with beet microgreens.
- Serve immediately so the contrast between the crisp plantain and beet leaf, tender glazed pork belly, crunchy acidic beets, earthy mushroom, creamy aioli, and fresh microgreens is preserved.
Notes
Chef Rico’s Notes
This dish was inspired by my love of layering contrasting flavors, colors, and textures into a single bite—crispy green plantain with citrus-soy glazed pork belly, bright pickled golden beets and stems, sautéed shimeji mushrooms, and a creamy Aleppo-Dijon aioli. The richness of the pork is balanced by the acidity and crunch of the pickled beets, while the mushrooms, gentle heat of the Aleppo pepper, and fresh microgreens bring earthy and refreshing notes to the dish.
Sustainability comes through thoughtful use of the ingredients: the beet stems are pickled along with the root, both the zest and juice of the citrus are used, and the pork braising liquid is reduced into the glaze rather than discarded. It reflects the way I like to cook—using ingredients with intention, minimizing waste, and creating something that is as visually inviting as it is enjoyable to eat.
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