This easy soy-braised pork belly is served with rice and green beans, making for a hearty camping dinner idea.

There’s nothing more satisfying than a hearty dish after a big day outdoors. This soy-braised pork belly is a wonderful comfort meal to enjoy at camp, and thanks to the Dometic Cadac 2 Cook 3 Pro and the Dometic GO range, it’s just as easy to cook outdoors as it is at home. Every bite is a joyful balance of salty, sweet, and umami flavours.

 

 

Braising the pork belly requires minimal preparation and is best eaten with rice to soak up all of the delicious sauce reduction. I love serving this with crunchy, blanched, green beans as the texture of the beans compliments the tenderness and richness of the pork.

Hot tip! Garnishing with your favourite herb will add some brightness to the dish.

Serves: 3

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes [15 minutes Prep Time + 1 hour 15 minutes Cooking Time]

Ingredients

  • 500g pork belly
  • 2 cups of Jasmine rice
  • 250g fresh green beans
  • A handful of shiso leaves for garnish (Substitute: Any of your favourite herb)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup (Substitute: Honey)
  • 1 whole garlic
  • 2 inch knob of ginger
  • 1 x cinnamon bark
  • 2 x star anise
  • Drinking water

 

Equipment

 

Preparation

Buy the Pork Belly

  1. Ask your butcher for 500g of thick pork belly rashers, and cut them into two-inch chunks

 

Marinade the Pork Belly

  1. Place the pork belly chunks into the braising pot
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  3. Add 1 spoon of dark soy sauce
  4. Add 1 spoon of sesame oil
  5. Mix and marinade well, ensuring the sauce mix has fully coated the pork belly chunks

Add the Aromatics

  1. Peel ginger and chop into rough chunks
  2. Add whole garlic, ginger chunks, cinnamon bark, and star anise into the pot

 

 

Cooking the Pork Belly

  1. Using the Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug and Tap, pour water into the pot until it’s level with the top of the meat
  2. Add 2 spoons of maple syrup and stir it in
  3. Using the Dometic Cadac 2 Cook 3 Pro Deluxe, bring the dish to boil on high, then cover the pot and simmer on medium heat for at least an hour
  4. Every 15 minutes, lift the lid and stir the pot to prevent any burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan.

Cook the Jasmine Rice

  1. Start preparing the rice about 30 minutes before the pork is ready
  2. Add 2 cups of rice into a small pot
  3. Using the Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug and Tap (seriously they’re a game changer), pour fresh water into the pot until rice is fully submerged
  4. Wash the rice by swirling the rice in the water with your hands
  5. Rinse off the starchy water as often as needed until the water runs nearly clear (about 2-3 times)
  6. Add 3 cups of water to the pot of clean rice
  7. Cover the pot with lid and simmer on low heat on the second gas burner
  8. Cook rice until water is absorbed – about 15-18 minutes
  9. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes
  10. Fluff the rice with a fork, cover, and set aside

Cooking Green Beans

  1. Fill another pot with clean water (yep, with the Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug and Tap) and add a spoon of salt
  2. Bring the water to the boil
  3. Add the green beans into the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, ensuring that they’re cooked but still crunchy

 

 

Is your pork belly ready?

After over an hour of simmering, your pork belly should be ready and the water is reduced to a thick consistency. Use a fork to test the tenderness of the meat. You should be able to pierce through the meat easily. If the meat isn’t soft enough, add a bit more water and continue simmering until desired tenderness is achieved.

 

 

Plating Up

  1. Serve rice on three plates
  2. Top the plates with your pork belly pieces and gravy 
  3. Place green beans on each plate
  4. Chop the shiso herbs and use to garnish

Enjoy your hearty and umami outdoor meal! 

Substitutes

  1. This recipe is also great with chicken or dehydrated shiitake mushrooms
  2. I love shiso with this dish but you may garnish your meal with any herb of your choice, e.g coriander, parsley, spring onions, dill, chives or basil

 

Hot Tips

  1. Don’t braise the pork belly with too much water. Pour the water until it’s on the same level as the top part of the meat in the pot. You want the watery flavours to reduce to a glaze-like consistency at the end. This won’t be achievable if there’s too much water in the pot.
  2. Using a ceramic or clay pot to braise the pork belly will yield better results due to even heat distribution.