Crispy Pork Belly, Mango and Golden Beetroot Salad
The Ritual
I Can Hardly Go Back to a Regular ‘Leafy Salad’ After This
Protein-packed salads are the new way forward - especially when there's crispy pork belly, chili, mango and fish sauce involved.
Lately, I’ve noticed a shift in my palate - or maybe more accurately, in what I crave from a meal. I’m often drawn to dishes that are juicy, crispy, savory, and full of contrast: sweetness, brightness, texture. A pack-a-punch kind of meal.
Even if it’s a salad.
And truthfully, I don’t think anyone does this balance better than Southeast Asia. The way protein, savoriness, sweetness, sourness, and spice come together in that part of the world is endlessly exciting. It’s a direction I find myself both inspired by and heading toward.
Riding that wave of excitement, I picked up some pork belly (skin on, of course), then wandered down to Union Square to see what the market had to offer. Norwich Meadow Farms had golden beetroots that were in full swing, along with radishes and tomatoes. I gathered a few more essentials, then headed back to my apartment in Chinatown - where, just down Mulberry Street, Ataulfo mangoes were calling my name.
Now we were in for a good time.
This Salad Hit Every Craving
Crispy pork belly—cured, roasted, and glazed—tossed with crunchy vegetables and finished with a punchy dressing of fish sauce, lime, white pepper and honey. It’s a salad that satisfies a craving for intensity—in flavor, color, and texture.
This one’s going to stick with me for a while.
Ingredients
Pork Belly
500g pork belly, skin on (150g for the salad and the rest for you!)
Pork Cure
5 tbsp salt
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp shrimp salt (or fish sauce)
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
A few cracks of white pepper
Pork Lacquer
3 tbsp garlic honey (or regular honey)
2 tsp chardonnay vinegar
Salad Base
2 celery stalks, peeled and sliced
1 heirloom tomato, chopped
2 pickled Thai chilis (or fresh), sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced into matchsticks
3 golden beets, peeled
2 French radishes
1 Ataulfo mango, diced
1 small bunch chives, finely sliced
1 small bunch cilantro, picked
1 small bunch mint, picked
A couple of Thai basil leaves, picked
1 small bunch celery leaves, picked
Salad Dressing
5 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp ramp honey (or regular honey)
Juice of 3 limes
A few cracks white pepper
Note: Taste and adjust—dressing should be sweet, sour, salty, and peppery. Add more honey if you prefer it sweeter.
Method
1. Blanch & Cure the Pork
Blanch the pork belly in boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer immediately to an ice bath to cool.
Generously rub the pork with the cure mixture. Use twice as much as you would to season a steak.
Refrigerate for 6 hours, uncovered.
Rinse off the cure, pat dry, and place on a wire rack in the fridge overnight to allow the surface to dry completely.
2. Roast the Pork
Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
Wrap the sides and bottom of the pork belly in foil, leaving the skin fully exposed.
Season the skin generously with flaky salt.
Roast for 1 hour.
3. Prepare the Salad
While the pork roasts:
Place sliced celery into an ice bath.
Season chopped tomatoes with salt to draw out water.
Mandolin the golden beets and radishes into thin rounds.
Slice the chilis, dice the mango, and prepare the herbs and chives.
4. Crisp & Lacquer
Increase oven temperature to 220°C (430°F).
Remove salt crust from the skin, then return pork to oven for 25 minutes, or until skin is blistered and crispy.
At the 20-minute mark, begin brushing the skin with garlic honey and chardonnay vinegar to build a sticky glaze and deepen the flavor.
5. Rest & Chill
Let the pork rest at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
Important: Slicing too early will cause the pork to fall apart. Cool completely for clean, even slices.
6. Assemble the Salad
In a large mixing bowl, combine all vegetables (including some of the tomato water), herbs, and mango.
Add sliced crispy pork belly.
Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to coat.
To Serve
Stack the salad high or long for visual appeal. Finish with extra herbs, chili slices, or crispy shallots if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy the satisfaction.
Yummm!!