Five-Spice Pork Belly Bowl with Cauliflower Rice (Soy-Free)

If you don’t eat soy and rice or simply are in a lower-carb phase, but you are craving some Asian-inspired flavors, this five-spice pork belly bowl with cauliflower rice might be just the cure for your cravings.

I love this dish inspired by one of my favorite cookbooks because it’s easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients that are quite easy to find.

This pork belly recipe is gluten-free, lectin-free, sugar-free, and lower-carb than its rice alternative.

My inspiration for Asian cooking

I love this book: Ready-To-Eat Stir-Fry, Over 70 delicious one-oak meals, by Caroline Hwang. I bought it years ago from the shop of the Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas.

It’s such a beautiful book with a great collection of Asian-inspired recipes that are easy to make. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t eat soy and rice (staples in Asian cuisine), this book is fascinating and helpful.

This pork belly bowl with cauliflower rice was inspired by the Taiwanese Pork Rice Bowl in this book. This is how I adapt this recipe to make it compliant with the Plant Paradox program:

• I use pasture-raised pork belly
• I replace vegetable oil for cooking with avocado or non-toasted sesame oil
• I replace the sugar with a compliant sweetener like inulin powder or monk fruit
• I replace soy with coconut aminos
• The fried shallots I found in shops are fried in vegetable oils and contain flour, so I caramelized onions instead
• I replaced pea shots with other sprouts that are plant paradox compliant (broccoli, watercress, radish etc)

What is five-spice?

Five spice is a Chinese mix of five spices. As with any spice blend, there are quite a few variations. The most common are:

• fennel
• star anise
• cloves
• Sichuan pepper
• cinnamon

Other ingredients can be: allspice, ginger, licorice, nutmeg, or orange peel.

Sometimes I buy the blend, but when I have all the spices in my pantry, it makes more sense to use those spices and make it myself. This is the variation I used for this recipe:

• fennel
• cinnamon
• star anise
• allspice
• ginger

Adding some orange zest will brighten up this dish, so feel free to do it if you have some. Even a few tablespoons of orange juice added to the sauce will help.

Some spices like fennel seeds and star anise are easier to find whole (and I prefer it that way), so you will have to grind them. I use a Nutribullet with a milling blade for that, and it works well. You can easily find a spice grinder, and they are not expensive.

Ingredients for five-spice pork belly bowl

FOR THE SAUCE:
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (Mirin)
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice mix (store-bought or see above for recipe)
2 teaspoons monk fruit granulated sweetener (Lakanto)
3/4 cup filtered water

FOR THE PORK BELLY:
avocado or sesame oil for cooking (non-toasted)
1 big onion, finely sliced (red or yellow)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 lb thinly sliced pork belly
a handful of micro greens (broccoli, watercress, radish etc)

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE:
14 oz / 400g riced cauliflower (frozen or fresh)
2 teaspoons avocado or sesame oil (non-toasted)
2 teaspoons coconut aminos
2 teaspoons Mirin (cooking wine)
1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 spring onions finely sliced at an angle (for the rice and more for garnish)

How to make five-spice pork belly bowl with cauliflower rice

The onions caramelization and the browning of the pork belly slices take a bit of time, but other than that, this meal is pretty easy.

• Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients minus the water in a jar (this step can also be done while the onions are cooking). You will add the water to the sauce just before adding it to the pan.
• Add a small amount of avocado oil or sesame oil to a large pan, bring to medium heat and add the onions. Cook and stir regularly on low to medium heat until onions are caramelized; add 1 teaspoon of water whenever the pan is getting too dry. It will take about 15-20 minutes for the onions to caramelize.
• When the onions are caramelized, take them out in a bowl, add a little more oil to the pan and add the smashed garlic cloves. Infuse the oil with garlic for a couple of minutes. Take the garlic out, chop it finely and add it to the onions bowl.
• Increase heat to medium, add a little bit more oil, and cook the pork belly in batches, until golden brown on each side, without overcooking. Add the cooked pork belly to the onion and garlic bowl.
• When you are done cooking the pork belly, remove most of the fat from the pan (using a spoon), leaving just a small quantity (about 1 tablespoon).
• Add the cooked ingredients from the bowl back into the pan. Add the water to the sauce, shake or mix, and add the sauce to the pan. Stir well, bring to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook on low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the pork belly is tender.
• About 10 minutes before the pork belly is ready, start making the cauliflower rice.
• Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat and add the cauliflower rice (if frozen, take it out of the freezer about 30 minutes before cooking). Stir well, add the coconut aminos and mirin and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the desired texture. I like it al dente.
• When it’s ready, add the toasted sesame oil and taste. Add some salt, and if necessary, add some green onion and some freshly ground pepper.

How to serve five-spice pork belly with cauliflower rice

Divide the cauliflower rice between two serving bowls, add the pork belly to the bowls, and garnish with the micro greens and scallions. Serve immediately with chopsticks.

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Print Recipe

Five-Spice Pork Belly Bowl with Cauliflower Rice (Soy-Free)

(4 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

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By Claudia Curici – Serves: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

If you don't eat soy and rice or simply are in a low-carb phase, but you are craving some Asian-inspired flavors, this five-spice pork belly bowl with cauliflower rice might be just the cure for your cravings. I love this dish inspired by one of my favorite cookbooks because it's easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients that are quite easy to find. This meal is gluten-free, lectin-free, sugar-free, and lower-carb than its rice alternative.

Ingredients

• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (Mirin)
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice mix (store-bought or see post for recipe)
• 2 teaspoons monk fruit granulated sweetener (Lakanto)
• 3/4 cup filtered water
• FOR THE PORK BELLY:
• avocado or sesame oil for cooking (non-toasted)
• 1 big onion, finely sliced (red or yellow)
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 lb sliced pork belly
• a handful of micro greens (broccoli, watercress, radish etc)
• FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RICE:
• 14 oz / 400g riced cauliflower (frozen or fresh)
• 2 teaspoons avocado or sesame oil (non-toasted)
• 2 teaspoons coconut aminos
• 2 teaspoons Mirin (cooking wine)
• 1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 spring onions finely sliced at an angle (for the rice and more for garnish)

Instructions

1

Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients minus the water in a jar (this step can also be done while the onions are cooking). You will add the water to the sauce just before adding it to the pan.

2

Add a small amount of avocado oil or sesame oil to a large pan, bring to medium heat and add the onions. Cook and stir regularly on low to medium heat until onions are caramelized; add 1 teaspoon of water whenever the pan is getting too dry. It will take about 15-20 minutes for the onions to caramelize.

3

When the onions are caramelized, take them out in a bowl, add a little more oil to the pan and add the smashed garlic cloves. Infuse the oil with garlic for a couple of minutes. Take the garlic out, chop it finely and add it to the onions bowl.

4

Increase heat to medium, add a little bit more oil, and cook the pork belly in batches, until golden brown on each side, without overcooking. Add the cooked pork belly to the onion and garlic bowl.

5

When you are done cooking the pork belly, remove most of the fat from the pan (using a spoon), leaving just a small quantity (about 1 tablespoon).

6

Add the cooked ingredients from the bowl back into the pan. Add the water to the sauce, shake or mix, and add the sauce to the pan. Stir well, bring to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook on low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the pork belly is tender.

7

About 10 minutes before the pork belly is ready, start making the cauliflower rice.

8

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat and add the cauliflower rice (if frozen, take it out of the freezer about 30 minutes before cooking). Stir well, add the coconut aminos and mirin and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the desired texture. I like it al dente.

9

When it's ready, add the toasted sesame oil and taste. Add some salt if necessary, add some green onion, and some freshly ground pepper.

10

Divide the cauliflower rice between two serving bowls, add the pork belly to the bowls, and garnish with the micro greens and scallions.