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.