Easy Pork Belly & Mushroom Rice Bowl

You can count on this Easy Pork Belly Mushroom Rice Bowl becoming a regular in your home. You undoubtedly had something resembling this when you were a kid if you grew up in an Asian household.

Even the most finicky eater would gladly dig into a bowl of juicy pork belly and rice. It’s hard to say no to. Not only is this a tasty alternative to the usual fried rice, but it’s also a great way to use up any extra rice in the fridge.

Pork belly’s versatility:

In my five years as a food blogger, I’ve learned that pork belly is one of the most adaptable components in Asian cuisine. The people of Taiwan put their own spin on things, creating dishes like braised pork belly that are both flavorful and dripping with sauce.

Mao’s Braised Pork Belly is fiery and aromatic, but Shanghainese Style Braised Pork Belly is sweet because Shanghainese like it that way, and Hunanese folks have to have their chilies.

Cantonese-style braised pork belly features an unusual yet delicious ingredient: scarlet fermented bean curd. No matter what you do, pork belly will always be a success.

We’ve only scratched the surface of pork belly dishes here on the blog. If you’re craving braised pork belly but are short on time, this braised pork belly mushroom rice bowl is a simplified version of the flavors of our favorite recipes. The shiitake mushrooms add a meaty, wonderful texture and an extra layer of flavor to the dish.

This was the kind of food I always imagined eating when I was a kid.

It’s a modern interpretation of a dish I’ve dreamed about since childhood: mushroomy rice topped with tender pork belly bits and a pork-fat-studded sauce.

Perhaps the abundance of pork fat is giving you pause, but back when good pork was hard to come by, there was nothing better. Make no mistake about it; if you put a bowl of this in front of a picky eater, young or old, that person will not be able to keep from eating it.

Try it out and share your thoughts below.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces of pork belly
• 4 cups of cooked rice
• 3 slices of minced ginger
• 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms
• ½-¾ cup of water or mushroom soaking liquid or stock
• 1 finely chopped scallion
• 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1½ tablespoons of Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• ¾ tablespoon of dark soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To rehydrate dried Shiitake mushrooms, just rinse them and soak them in hot water for a few minutes. This needs to be done for at least 2 hours, but it’s much more convenient if you can leave them in water overnight.
2. Slice the mushrooms in half lengthwise, then remove the stems and discard. The mushroom soaking liquid must be preserved. Fresh mushrooms can be easily prepared by dicing them.
3. The pork belly needs to be washed and patted dry. The pork should be diced into 1/2-inch chunks.
4. Two teaspoons of oil, heated over medium heat, will do the trick. Minced ginger should be cooked until it begins to color. Increase the heat, add the pork belly, and stir-fry until the meat is just beginning to brown. Stir-fry for a further two minutes after adding the mushrooms.
5. Reduce heat and stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, 3 tablespoons light soy sauce, 3/4 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 cup water, mushroom soaking liquid, or stock. Increase the heat and give the contents of the saucepan a thorough stir to get them boiling.
6. Once again, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer the pork for 10 minutes to soften and become more tender.
7. Turn the heat down to medium and fold in the cooked rice. Get the sauce to coat each and every rice grain. If the rice appears dry, add a splash of water, but remember that this isn’t fried rice; it needs a little sauce!
8. Add the chopped scallions at the end, and you’re ready to serve!