How to Cook Northern-Style Sticky Rice with Braised Pork Served with Delicious Pickles

How to make Sticky Rice with Braised Pork Northern Style served with pickles

• 1

  Wash and soak the sticky rice

  Put 500g of sticky rice in a bowl, wash it thoroughly with water about 3 – 4 times, then soak the sticky rice in water for about 4 – 5 hours.

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the pork belly

  Wash the pork belly briefly with diluted salt water, then rinse several times with clean water.

  Boil water with 1 teaspoon of salt and 3 teaspoons of vinegar, then add the pork belly and boil for about 10 minutes, then remove the pork and soak it in cold water for another 10 minutes!

  Finally, take the pork out and place it on a rack, use a knife to make evenly spaced cuts about half a finger length deep into the skin of the pork, then use paper to dry the pork thoroughly.

  Lastly, let the pork dry in the sun for 1 – 2 hours so that the skin dries and tightens, and the pork is completely drained of water.

  Tip:

  • The longer you let the pork dry, the less oil will splatter when frying, and the skin will be crispier!
  • If there is not enough sunlight, you can dry the pork in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

  

  

  
• 3

  Fry the pork

  Heat a pan with about 400ml of cooking oil, when the oil is hot, add the pork belly with the skin side down. Fry over medium heat until the skin is golden brown for about 7 – 10 minutes. Then, flip the other side and fry for another 4 – 6 minutes!

  Tip: You don’t need to fry the inside of the pork to avoid losing its tenderness and fat; just fry the skin until golden!

  After frying the meat, soak it in a basin of water for about 2 hours! (or soak until the skin becomes soft)

  

  
• 4

  Marinate the meat

  Cut the meat into large pieces about 1.5 finger widths thick.

  Next, put the meat in a bowl and add 1 chopped onion, 3 tablespoons of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 3 teaspoons of sugar, 2 pieces of white fermented tofu, and 1/3 teaspoon of five-spice powder, then mix well for the meat to absorb the marinade for 30 minutes.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Meat Stew

  Add 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water into the pot, then place the pot on the stove over high heat to bring the sugar water to a boil. After that, reduce the heat to medium and cook slowly until the sugar turns a reddish-brown color.

  Note: To prevent the caramel from burning, once the sugar turns reddish-brown and starts to thicken slightly, you should not cook it for too long!

  Next, add 1.2 liters of water (it is recommended to use hot water to avoid splattering) into the pot, then add the marinated meat, cover the pot, and cook for about 1 hour over medium heat.

  At this point, the meat is cooked but not tender yet, add 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce. Adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste.

  Finally, cover the pot and cook for an additional 2 hours until the meat is tender and soft!

  

  
• 6

  Steaming Sticky Rice

  Drain the soaked glutinous rice in a colander, sprinkle with 2/3 teaspoon of salt, and continue to shake it well to remove excess water.

  Next, bring water to a boil, place the steamer on top, brush a layer of cooking oil on the surface of the steamer, then add the glutinous rice into the steamer, using chopsticks to create holes on top of the rice.

  Wrap the steamer lid with a cloth, then cover the pot and steam over medium heat. After about 15 minutes, open the lid and stir the sticky rice to ensure it cooks evenly, then cover the lid again and steam for an additional 25 minutes.

  Finally, add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil to the cooked sticky rice and mix well to separate the grains.

  Tip: You can cook sticky rice using a rice cooker as follows:

  • Step 1: Rinse 500g of glutinous rice thoroughly with water.
  • Step 2: Add 2/3 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of cooking oil, then mix well.
  • Step 3: Add enough water to just cover the surface of the glutinous rice.
  • Step 4: Place it in a rice cooker and cook it as you normally would for rice.

  See details: How to cook delicious sticky rice using a rice cooker

  

  
• 7

  Making pickled vegetables

  Prepare the vegetables in order: rinse the bean sprouts and let them drain, wash the cucumber, then cut it in half, and continue to cut it into thin slices. Wash the carrot, peel it, and then shred it thinly. Slice the onion thinly.

  Make the pickling liquid: Put 1 ladle of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and 2 ladles of water into a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then add 2 ladles of vinegar (about 100ml), 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and 2 chopped chili peppers, then mix the mixture well.

  Finally, add all the prepared vegetables into the bowl and pour the pickling liquid in to complete the dish pickled bean sprouts!

  

  

  
• 8

  Final product

  Serve the sticky rice in a bowl, add a piece of braised pork with some pork broth on top and enjoy.

  The Northern style sticky rice with braised pork looks really appetizing. The grains of sticky rice are shiny and soft, the braised pork is fatty and tasty, accompanied by a crispy and sweet piece of pickled vegetable. The flavors are excellent, this dish will be remembered by the whole family.