Pork and Watermelon Salad Recipe (2024)

Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

For the Pork Belly

• 3pounds raw, uncured pork belly, skin on
• 2cups kecap manis
• 6tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
• 3tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 3tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
• Canola oil or peanut oil, for frying
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Salt, if needed

For the Watermelon Salad

• 5pounds watermelon
• 2cups rice wine vinegar
• 3shallots, sliced
• 2Thai bird chilies, sliced
• 2kaffir lime leaves
• 1ounce (2 inches) fresh gingerroot, peeled and sliced
• ½round (1 ounce) palm sugar or 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1tablespoon kosher salt

For the Dressing

• 1½rounds palm sugar (3 ounces) or 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1cup rice wine vinegar
• ½cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 6ounces gingerroot, peeled and sliced
• 6cilantro roots and 1 inch of stems, cleaned and trimmed
• 2garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ¾teaspoon kosher salt
• 3scallions, trimmed and sliced, for garnish
• 1cup torn Vietnamese coriander (rau ram) leaves, for garnish
• 1cup torn Thai basil leaves, for garnish
• Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Step

   1

   Crosshatch pork belly skin with sharp knife, making cuts ½-inch apart. Place pork belly in non-reactive dish. Combine kecap manis, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice, and pour over pork belly. Chill for 24 to 48 hours, turning several times.

2. Step

   2

   Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place belly, skin side up, in baking pan with 2 cups marinating liquid and 2 cups water. Liquid should come halfway up the pork; if not, add more water or use smaller pan. Cover pan with foil. Bake until a skewer penetrates the belly with little or no resistance, 3 to 4 hours. Remove pork from liquid and let cool. Leaving skin on, slice belly into 1-inch chunks.

3. Step

   3

   To make salad, cut watermelon flesh into 1-inch cubes (discarding seeds). Reserve rind. Refrigerate flesh until ready to use. With sharp knife, remove outer green skin of rind, reserving white part. Dice white rind into ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.

4. Step

   4

   In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine rice wine vinegar, shallots, chilies, kaffir lime, ginger, palm sugar, salt and 1 cup water, and bring to boil. Cook until sugar dissolves. Strain liquid over white rind. Let cool, then chill for at least 1 hour or as long as 2 days.

5. Step

   5

   To make dressing, roughly crush palm sugar using a mortar and pestle or place in a plastic bag and crush with a hammer or heavy can. In a food processor, combine sugar with vinegar, lime juice, ginger, cilantro, garlic and salt, and blend until smooth.

6. Step

   6

   In medium saucepan or wok, heat 3 inches canola or peanut oil to 375 degrees. Lightly dust pork belly cubes with flour, shaking off excess. Working in batches, fry pork belly until dark golden brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with salt, if necessary.

7. Step

   7

   In a mixing bowl, toss the watermelon flesh with just enough dressing to coat. Divide pork among serving plates, and top with watermelon flesh and a few cubes of pickled rind. Drizzle additional dressing around plate. Garnish with scallions, coriander leaves, basil, and sesame seeds, if using.