This Japanese Cucumber Pork Belly Pickled Plum Salad recipe was born from one of those late-night snack urges that we had. After putting the kids to sleep, we were hungry so we ventured off to the kitchen and peeked inside the fridge to see what we could make. All that was there was some pork belly and Japanese cucumber.
Now, although this sounds like a very odd combination, I’m not crazy and something about the pork fat and the crispiness of the cucumbers really pairs well together! I remember long ago, I ate an appetizer at a restaurant that used a similar combination and it was really good!
So using that flavor profile as the starting point, we started throwing some stuff together and created this Japanese Cucumber Pork Belly Pickled Plum Salad dish! It’s simple yet offers a massive amount of umami flavor that’s guaranteed to blow your socks off!
It makes for a great side dish, especially if you’re looking for some vegetables to pair with your meal! Cucumbers are high in nutrients, a great source of hydration and loaded with antioxidants, and most importantly, provides that texture to make the salad pop! So next time you’re in the mood to mix up your salad game, definitely give this one a try!!
The special ingredients you would need for this one would be Ponzu, Sesame Oil and umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum), you can get Ponzu and Sesame Oil on Amazon and all of the ingredients at a local Asian supermarket.
Note – for the pork belly, you can get this at a local Asian supermarket marked for the use for sukiyaki or shabu shabu. If you cannot access a local Asian supermarket, you can request your local butcher to slice this for you. The thickness would be around the same as thin bacon.
Also, if you cannot attain fresh umeboshi, you can replace with the ume paste version. Umeboshi comes in different variations from traditional, shiso, sweet and honey. You can use whichever fits your low-carb/keto needs.
Now, let’s get cooking!
Prepping Time 5M
Cooking Time 3M
Total Time 10M
Net Carb/Serv ~2g
Serving 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Thinly Sliced Pork Belly
- 1/4 inch of Ginger
- 2 Umeboshi
- 2 tbsp Ponzu
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Persian/Japanese Cucumbers
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) With a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the cucumbers every other stroke. Slice cucumber into 1/4 inch thick pieces and place in mixing bowl.
3) De-pit umeboshi, finely dice and set aside.
4) Grind ginger down with a grinder or a garter and set aside.
5) Cut pork belly into 1/2 inch width pieces and set aside.
6) In a large frying pan, add Sesame Oil and bring up to temperature over medium heat. Once oil starts to lightly smoke, carefully add pork belly followed by grated ginger. Mix well and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes.
7) In a mixing bowl, combine cooked pork belly (along with all the liquids from the frying pan), diced umeboshi and Ponzu. Mix well and transfer to serving bowl. Enjoy immediately!
Hope you enjoy your low-carb/keto Japanese Cucumber Pork Belly Pickled Plum Salad!
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Japanese Cucumber Pork Belly Pickled Plum Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Thinly Sliced Pork Belly
- 1/4 Inch Ginger
- 2 Whole Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum)
- 2 tbsp Ponzu
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Whole Persian/Japanese Cucumbers
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- With a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the cucumbers every other stroke. Slice cucumber into 1/4 inch thick pieces and place in mixing bowl.
- De-pit umeboshi, finely dice and set aside.
- Grind ginger down with a grinder or a garter and set aside.
- Cut pork belly into 1/2 inch width pieces and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, add sesame oil and bring up to temperature over medium heat. Once oil starts to lightly smoke, carefully add pork belly followed by grated ginger. Mix well and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cooked pork belly (along with all the liquids from the frying pan), diced umeboshi and ponzu. Mix well and transfer to serving bowl. Enjoy immediately!
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