Sticky Pork Watermelon Pickle And Herb Salad Recipes

PORK AND WATERMELON SALAD

Steps:

• Crosshatch pork belly skin with sharp knife, making cuts 1/2-inch apart. Place pork belly in non-reactive dish. Combine kecap manis, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice, and pour over pork belly. Chill for 24 to 48 hours, turning several times.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place belly, skin side up, in baking pan with 2 cups marinating liquid and 2 cups water. Liquid should come halfway up the pork; if not, add more water or use smaller pan. Cover pan with foil. Bake until a skewer penetrates the belly with little or no resistance, 3 to 4 hours. Remove pork from liquid and let cool. Leaving skin on, slice belly into 1-inch chunks.
• To make salad, cut watermelon flesh into 1-inch cubes (discarding seeds). Reserve rind. Refrigerate flesh until ready to use. With sharp knife, remove outer green skin of rind, reserving white part. Dice white rind into 1/2-inch cubes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine rice wine vinegar, shallots, chilies, kaffir lime, ginger, palm sugar, salt and 1 cup water, and bring to boil. Cook until sugar dissolves. Strain liquid over white rind. Let cool, then chill for at least 1 hour or as long as 2 days.
• To make dressing, roughly crush palm sugar using a mortar and pestle or place in a plastic bag and crush with a hammer or heavy can. In a food processor, combine sugar with vinegar, lime juice, ginger, cilantro, garlic and salt, and blend until smooth.
• In medium saucepan or wok, heat 3 inches canola or peanut oil to 375 degrees. Lightly dust pork belly cubes with flour, shaking off excess. Working in batches, fry pork belly until dark golden brown and crispy, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with salt, if necessary.
• In a mixing bowl, toss the watermelon flesh with just enough dressing to coat. Divide pork among serving plates, and top with watermelon flesh and a few cubes of pickled rind. Drizzle additional dressing around plate. Garnish with scallions, coriander leaves, basil, and sesame seeds, if using.

WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• Stir canning salt into 1 gallon water in a large container until dissolved; add watermelon rind. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a lid and let sit 12 hours. Drain and rinse completely.
• Combine drained watermelon rind and 1 gallon water in a stock pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rind is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour; drain and set aside.
• Put cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves in cheesecloth or spice bag. Combine vinegar, sugar, spice bag, maraschino cherries, and lemon slices in the stock pot; stir until sugar is dissolved. Add watermelon rind to the pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rind is transparent, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the spice bag and set aside.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Put one whole clove into each jar. Break cinnamon sticks into pieces and put 1 piece into each jar.
• Pack the watermelon rind with the vinegar mixture into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

STICKY PORK, WATERMELON PICKLE AND HERB SALAD

Steps:

• 1 For watermelon pickle, place half the watermelon in a heatproof bowl. Combine rice vinegar, fish sauce, palm sugar and shallot in a saucepan, season to taste with freshly ground white pepper and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, remove from heat, pour over watermelon in bowl and stand for 5 minutes. Remove watermelon from pickling liquid with a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Add lime juice to pickling liquid and set aside separately in refrigerator. 2 Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add shallot, garlic and chilli and stir frequently until shallot is golden and starting to crisp (2-3 minutes). Add pork and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up clumps until brown (3-5 minutes). Add kecap manis, soy sauce and sugar and cook until sticky and sauce is reduced to a glaze (1-2 minutes). Season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground white pepper and rice vinegar, then scatter over a large serving plate. 3 Combine herbs, drained green onion, reserved watermelon pickle and remaining watermelon in a bowl. Drizzle with a little pickling liquid, toss lightly to combine, scatter over pork and serve immediately.

VIETNAMESE PORK CHOPS WITH PICKLED WATERMELON

Steps:

• Pork Chops:
• Whisk shallots, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and Sriracha in a shallow baking dish. Add pork chops and turn to coat. Cover and chill, turning occasionally, at least 1 hour.
• Prepare grill for medium-high heat.
• Remove pork chops from marinade, scraping off excess, and grill until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
• Do ahead: Pork chops can be marinated 12 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
• Salad:
• Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season with salt.
• Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add purslane, watermelon, and Pickled Watermelon Rind; season with salt and pepper and toss gently to coat.
• Serve pork chops with watermelon salad topped with fried shallots.