Stir-Fried Pork Belly and Plums
I saw this recipe online at New York Times Cooking, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on some plums so I could make it. The dish combines pork belly and fresh plums along with an Asian glaze that creates a decadent dish that’s also pretty.
The author of this recipe is Yewande Komolafe, who is a staff writer and recipe developer for NYT Cooking. I like the way her mind works!
She writes: “This combination of pork with plums is a superb way to incorporate fresh fruit into an easy and exciting one-pan meal. Pork belly is quickly stir-fried to create a crisp exterior, and renders oil in the pan to blister slices of plum.”
It’s a combination I never would have dreamed of, but boy does it work!
Stir-Fried Pork and Plums
Printable recipe below
1 garlic clove, minced
1 – 1″ piece of ginger, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt
1 pound pork belly
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 firm black plums, quartered, pitted
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 cilantro sprigs
Arugula, for serving (I didn’t use)
White rice, for serving
In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, ginger, vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper. Taste and season with salt if necessary and set sauce aside.
Cut the pork belly into 1/2″ slices, then cut each slice into 1″ pieces. Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high. Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are crispy and lightly browned but the centers are still plump and meaty, 7 to 8 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the oil and plums and cook without stirring until slightly caramelized, 6 minutes.
Turn the heat back up to high, pour in the sauce and cook, stirring to coat everything, until the sauce becomes a sticky glaze and the plums are tender 5 to 6 minutes. Add the scallions and cilantro.
Serve the pork and plums alongside arugula and rice, if using, with a sprinkling of additional sliced scallions and cilantro leaves.
This dish is fabulous.
Stir-Fried Pork and Plums
1 garlic clove, minced
1 – 1″ piece of ginger, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt
1 pound pork belly
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 firm black plums, quartered, pitted
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 cilantro sprigs
Arugula, for serving (I didn’t use)
White rice, for serving
In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, ginger, vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper. Taste and season with salt if necessary and set sauce aside.
Cut the pork belly into 1/2″ slices, then cut each slice into 1″ pieces. Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high. Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are crispy and lightly browned but the centers are still plump and meaty, 7 to 8 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the oil and plums and cook without stirring until slightly caramelized, 6 minutes.
Turn the heat back up to high, pour in the sauce and cook, stirring to coat everything, until the sauce becomes a sticky glaze and the plums are tender 5 to 6 minutes. Add the scallions and cilantro.
Serve the pork and plums alongside arugula and rice, if using, with a sprinkling of additional sliced scallions and cilantro leaves.
About the Author: Chef Mimi
Looks super juicy and flavourful! I am a huge fan of pork belly.
It’s so good. And fatty!
I do love the ingredient list, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a pork belly that I didn’t like … so yes!
Me, too! This was a fun recipe!
Oh, boy, this sounds delicious! Bill doesn’t like fruit in his entrees, but I’m happy to eat his share. I’m so nice, LOL!
My husband neither. I can’t mix sweet and savory in any way. More for us.
This does look great and what a perfectly hearty meal for the impending winter! It looks pretty enough for company.
you could have stopped at pork belly and I would be fine
Ha! Well it was delicious!
The New York Times cookery page oft displays quite interesting quasi-Asian dishes. Loving stirfries as much as I do (absolutely ideal food if one lives alone – never two dishes the same :) !) this deserves to be tried even tho’ I also usually keep savoury and sweet apart!
My husband doesn’t like savory with sweet either, so I shared with friends!
I would be all over this dish. Can I pull up a chair if I bring a nice bottle of wine? Delicious.
Always!!!
It sounds and looks fabulous.
It was pretty wonderful!
I think the tang of the Plums with the Pork Belly would cut through the ‘fattiness’ making a very flavour rich meal. Don’t imagine this being sweet at all. Definitely on the ‘to make’ list this one!
Thanks Mimi :))
Oh good! You’ll love it, I know!
Oh yum,yum,yum! This looks amazing. I am so looking forward to our Christmas plums appearing in the supermarkets, and I will be making this for sure. Thanks for sharing this recipe Mimi. Pauline (Happy Retirees Kitchen)
https://happyretireeskitchen.blogspot.com
I’m excited for you! You’ll love it.
I love the mix of sweet and savoury here – the plums with the pork belly sound perfect.
It was really good! I like savory with sweet any time!
Love pork belly- never had it with plums though. This looks perfect with some rice- yum 😋
It’s a really nice combination!
What a fabulous combination. I love fruit with with fatty meats, and this one sounds delectable! :-) ~Valentina
P.S. What a pretty spoon!
It was really unique! Especially with the Asian flavors!
Yes, pork belly does work well with sweet fruit, like plums. Lovely presentation and I bet there won’t be any leftovers!
There weren’t any!!!
That really does look good!
Thanks Ann! It was remarkably good!
Mimi, that caramelised plum glaze perfectly balances the richness of the pork belly! The recipe steps are so well explained, I’m already picturing this on my week-night rotation! Yum!
You’ll love it Neil!
Blistered plums? Now there’s an ingredient I have never used before – but I like the sound of ’em! I don’t think I’ve ever tried pork belly in a stir fry, but the flavors here are calling my name!
The Asian flavors really work with this stir fry!
Wow – this looks so amazing. I had pork belly once a while ago with a balsamic reduction and peach chutney. Your combo with plums has me so intrigued – am drooling!
That sounds delicious! Fruit and pork belly work so well together!
Scrumptious! Savory, sweet and oh so good. Love a good char on the pork belly to contrast with the in season plum. Perfect way to transition to the next season.
Thanks, Bobbi. This was certainly delicious!
I absolutely love pork belly and it sounds really good with the plums. Another of your recipes. I’m heading to a list of those I need to make. ~ David (C&L)
It turned out so good. You’ll love it!
This stir-fried pork belly with plums looks incredible! I love the balance of rich pork and sweet-tart plums, it’s such a creative combination and I love pork 😁😁 Definitely adding this to my must-cook list!
You will love it. I love the Asian flavors.
Cured pork belly, like fine shortbread cookies, is like transit warfare going into retail marketing. Pork belly, like pork sausage, symbolized ownership of transit and production. Adding fruits, well, that’s like a pre set marriage by those on retail side of life.
This looks absolutely delicious. I’m looking forward to plums arriving here so that can start cooking with them. The Asian flavours really sold it to me as well. A restaurant worthy dish.
Pauline (Happy Retirees Kitchen)
Yes! Everything worked so well together in this!