Crispy Pork Lettuce Wraps With Spicy Cucumbers

Ingredients

• •1 piece pork belly
• •1 to taste kosher salt and pepper
• •2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• •4 whole chiles de árbol
• •2 pods star anise
• •2 tablespoons soy sauce
• •2 whole Persian cucumbers
• •2 whole scallions
• •½ whole red chile
• •2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• •3 tablespoons gochujang
• •3 tablespoons white miso
• •1 head lettuce
• •½ bunch mint
• •½ cup kimchi
• •to taste gochujang
• •to taste miso-chile mixture
• •

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Diagonally score fat side of pork belly, cutting through fat but stopping at flesh and spacing about 1/4" apart. Season pork with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let sit at least 2 hours, or chill up to 2 days.

   120 min

2. 2.

   Preheat oven to 400°F. Unwrap pork and place in the smallest baking dish you can. Add chiles de árbol, star anise, soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 1/4 cups water. Roast until most of fat has rendered, meat is tender, and top is browned and crisp, 2-2 1/2 hours.

   150 min

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, toss cucumbers, scallions, red chile, and vinegar in a small bowl to combine. Mix gochujang and miso in another small bowl.

   10 min

4. 4.

   Transfer pork to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. Pour off pan juices into a measuring glass. Skim fat from surface.

   10 min

5. 5.

   Slice pork into 1/2" slices, transfer to a platter, and pour pan juices over. Serve with lettuce for wrapping and cucumber salad, mint, kimchi (if using), and gochugang-miso mixture for topping.

   15 min

6. 6.

   Pork can be cooked 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat before serving.