A Pati Jinich Recipe
Honey Glazed Pork Belly, Arrachera and Shrimp Fried Rice
6 to 8 servings
Arroz Frito con Pork Belly con Miel, Arrachera y Camarones
Ingredients
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1/3 cup honey, for pork belly brine, plus 1 tablespoon for cooking sauce
- 1/4 cup kosher or coarse sea salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 pound pork belly
- 1 pound skirt steak, diced into bite-sized pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound medium-sized shrimp, peeled and patted dry
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sauce from chipotles in adobo sauce
- Zest of an orange
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, stemmed, finely chopped (seeds on optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried piquín chiles, chopped or crushed (seeds on optional)
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup diced carrots, from about 2 medium peeled carrots
- 2 cups fresh asparagus, dry bottoms removed, stalks peeled below the tops, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup shelled peas
- 8 scallions, root ends removed, thinly sliced, reserve a tablespoon for garnish
- 4½ cups cooked white rice, cooked from 1½ cup uncooked rice
To Prepare
- Mix 3 cups water with the honey and ¼ cup salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and stir until the honey dilutes and the salt dissolves, just a minute. Remove from heat and set aside until it cools.
- Place the pork belly in a container that fits it. Pour cooled honey brine over pork belly, cover, and marinate for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook the pork belly, remove it from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 300℉ with the rack in the middle position.
- Uncover the container that has the pork belly in the brine and pour the remaining cup of water onto the bottom of the dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours and 30 minutes, or until pork belly is fork tender.
- Remove the aluminum foil, increase heat to 400℉ and roast for about 20 minutes until the top has crisped and browned and the inner fat has melted considerably. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, remove the pork belly from the baking dish and cut into 1-inch pieces. Pour all the pork belly fat from the baking dish into a bowl. Set aside both the pork belly and its fat.
- Place the diced skirt steak in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place cleaned shrimp in another bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, remaining tablespoon of honey, rice vinegar, sauce from chipotles in adobo, orange zest and juice, garlic, ginger, serrano chile, and dried piquín chile and mix well to combine. Set aside.
- In a small nonstick skillet set over medium heat, add a tablespoon of the rendered pork belly fat. Once hot, add the beaten eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, moving the edges towards the center as it cooks, to create a flat omelet. Once set and cooked on the bottom, flip so it cooks on the other side. Transfer to a chopping board and cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
- In an extended wok or large saute pan over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the rendered pork belly fat (or vegetable oil). Once very hot but not smoking, add the skirt steak and cook for about 2 minutes per side, it should brown all over, but you don't want to overcook it. Scrape onto a bowl.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of the rendered pork belly fat (or vegetable oil). Add the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute per side, just like the steak, it should brown a bit all over, but you don't want to overcook them. Scrape into the same bowl as the steak.
- Reduce heat to medium high. Add 2 more tablespoons of the rendered pork belly fat (or vegetable oil), add the asparagus and carrots, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened but still with a firm bite. Incorporate the peas and scallions and cook for a couple minutes.
- Raise heat to high, add the rice and stir. Pour in the soy sauce mixture, add the steak, shrimp, reserved pork belly, and omelet, and toss well to combine. Let it cook for another couple of minutes.
- Garnish with the reserved scallions and serve. This dish makes amazing leftovers!
