A Childhood Favorite
Ever since I was young, I loved sticky rice. Whenever my family went to get dim sum, I was always waiting for the Lo Mai Gai to come around. My parents and grandparents would always have Joong in the freezer ready to be steamed. Then on special occasions, we’d go out to a Chinese restaurant and order the Cantonese Steamed Crab Sticky Rice. That dish was pure heaven! We didn’t get it very often, so I always tried to eat as much as I could before it was gone. With that being said, I wanted to share this Pork Belly Sticky Rice recipe with you to celebrate the Lunar New Year!
I’ve always been intimidated to cook Chinese dishes because I never wanted to let myself down by not being able to cook something from my own culture. However, over the past few months I realized that I’m never going to become good at something if I never even try. So I’ve been cooking up a storm and adding more authentic Chinese recipes to my repertoire. I finally feel confident enough in my skills to start sharing more delicious recipes like this one!
Getting Ahead
To make this Pork Belly Sticky Rice, you actually have to start the day before you want to serve it. Don’t worry, it’s not anything too complicated! We’re using sticky rice for this recipe, which is also known as sweet rice or glutinous rice. To properly prepare this type of rice, we have to soak it in water the day before. This allows to rice to absorb enough moisture so that it cooks evenly. All you have to do is add the rice to a bowl, fill it with water, and set it aside until the following day.
Slow Cooked Pork Belly
If you want to make your life even easier, you can also prepare the pork belly the day before as well! To prepare your pork belly, cut each slice into pieces about 3 inches long or about the length of your index finger. If the pork belly still has the rind attached, slice if off. Add the pork belly, chicken broth, ginger, garlic, mirin, and sugar to a slow cooker. Cook it on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the pork belly is very tender. I prefer to use a slow cooker because I can add everything into the pot and forget about it while it cooks off to the side.
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can always use the stove top! Add all the ingredients to a pot and bring it to a boil. Decrease the heat so that it is gently simmering. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 2-3 hours until tender. Because the stovetop cooks more rapidly than a slow cooker, periodically check to make sure there’s still enough chicken broth in the pot. Once the pork belly is cooked, set it aside to cool. If you’re preparing it the day before, you can store it in the fridge with some of the cooking liquid.
Hot and Steamy
Steaming the Sticky Rice
Now, let’s pretend it’s the following day! If you didn’t cook the pork belly the day before, you want to get started on that right away. Once the pork belly is cooked, we can really get the ball rolling. Fill a pan with an inch of water and bring it to a simmer. In the meantime, drain the water from the soaked rice. Line a steamer basket with parchment paper then spread the rice out in an even layer. Place a steaming rack in the center of the pan and place the steamer basket on top. Cover the pan with a lid and steam for about 25-30 minutes until the rice is tender. Set the rice aside once it’s finished cooking.
Sauce 1 and Sauce 2
Next, we’re going to prepare two sauces. In one bowl, combine brown sugar, dark soy sauce, lemongrass paste, ginger, Chinese five spice, salt, and white pepper. This sauce will be for the pork belly. In another bowl, combine dark soy sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt and white pepper. This sauce will be for the sticky rice.
Start Sautéing
Pat the pork belly pieces dry with paper towels then cut each slice into thirds or about 1/2 inch pieces. Add them to a hot pan and sear them until brown and crispy. Pour in the pork belly sauce and cook until all of the pieces are well coated. Each piece should look deliciously caramelized! Remove the pork belly from the pan and set it aside. Wipe the pan out with paper towels to prevent the sauce from burning the next ingredients.
Now, we’re going to sauté some classic Chinese ingredients: shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, and bok choy. First, cook garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions in a pan. Next, add in the shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, and bok choy. When all of the mix-ins have cooked, remove them from the pan and set it aside.
Finally, it’s time for it everything to come together! Add the cooked sticky rice to the pan and break it apart. Pour in the sticky rice sauce and mix it in with the rice until each grain is evenly coated with sauce. Add all of the ingredients back into the pan — the caramelized pork belly and sautéed mix ins — and mix until the everything is combined. Pour in some chicken broth and the green parts of the green onions. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. At this point, the sticky rice should be perfectly cooked! Taste for seasoning and add more salt and white pepper if needed.
Happy Lunar New Year!
Give yourself a pat on the back because you have just prepared the ultimate Pork Belly Sticky Rice! I promise it will be worth all of the prep work you did ahead of time. The rice is perfectly cooked and seasoned. It maintains its shape but has a sticky, almost bouncy, texture. I love the sweetness from the Chinese sausage and slight crunch from the bok choy. Don’t even get me started with the pork belly. Each piece is crispy and caramelized on the outside but so tender when you bite into it. This Pork Belly Sticky Rice is a delicious recipe to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It’ll have your friends and family “ooh-ing,” “ah-ing,” and asking you for the recipe. Let me know if you try this recipe out, and I wish you all good fortune for this year!
Looking for more Asian flavored dishes? Try these:
Pork Belly Sticky Rice
Ingredients
For the Sticky Rice
- 2 cups Sweet Rice or Glutinous Rice
For the Slow Cooked Pork Belly
- 1 lb. Thick Pork Belly Slices (rindless and cut into 3 inch long pieces)
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- Thumb Size Piece of Ginger (peeled and minced)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (roughly chopped)
- ½ Tbsp Mirin
- ½ Tbsp Granulated Sugar
For the Pork Belly Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Lemongrass Paste
- 1 Thumb Size Piece of Ginger (peeled and minced)
- ¼ tsp Chinese Five Spice
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
- Dash of White Pepper
For the Sticky Rice Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- Pinch of White Pepper
For the Sticky Rice Mix Ins
- 3 ½ Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 2 tsp Minced Ginger
- 3 Green Onions (sliced, white and green parts separated)
- 7 oz. Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms (sliced, about 3 cups sliced)
- 3 Chinese Sausage Links (sliced on a bias)
- 2 Medium Bok Choy (chopped, about 3 cups chopped)
- ½ Tbsp Sesame Oil
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
Instructions
For the Sticky Rice
- The day before, add the sweet rice to a bowl and fill it with water. Set it aside and allow the rice to soak overnight.
For the Slow Cooked Pork Belly
- Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Cook on high for 3 ½ to 4 hours until the pork belly is tender. Alternatively add all the ingredients to a pot and mix. Heat over high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 2-3 hours until the pork belly is tender. Periodically check to make sure there is still enough chicken broth in the pot. Add more if needed.
- When the pork belly has finished cooking, let it cool until it reaches a temperature you can touch. Pat the pieces dry with paper towels and cut each slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside. Alternatively, you can cook the pork belly the day before and store it in the fridge until the next day. Then pat dry and cut into pieces.
For the Pork Belly Sauce
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
For the Sticky Rice Sauce
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
For the Sticky Rice Mix Ins
- Drain the water from the sticky rice. Line a steamer basket with parchment paper. Fill a large pan with high sides with about an inch of water. Place a steaming rack in the center. Heat it over medium high heat until it comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low so that the water is gently bubbling.
- Place the steamer basket onto the rack. Cover the pan with a lid and steam the rice until mostly tender. This should take about 25-30 minutes. When the rice is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
- Heat a large pan or wok over medium high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Then add in the pork belly pieces. Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until the pork belly is seared and golden brown. Pour in the pork belly sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until all the pieces have absorbed and are coated in the sauce. Remove the pork belly from the pan and set it aside.
- Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil into the same pan. Then add in the garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions. Sauté for 1 minute then add in the shiitake mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked halfway then add in the Chinese sausage. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sausages have browned. Add in the bok choy and cook until the greens have wilted. Remove the ingredients from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add in the remaining ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil and the sesame oil. Heat over medium high heat then add in the sticky rice. Break the rice apart then pour in the sticky rice sauce. Mix until each grain of rice is coated in the sauce. Add in the pork belly and the sautéed rice mix ins. Mix and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and the green parts of the green onion. Mix to combine then cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat. Mix and taste. Season with additional salt and white pepper if needed. Enjoy!
