Crisp-Skin Pork Belly Rice Bowls with Pickled Vegetables

Tender, succulent pork with deliciously crisp skin is the star of these rice bowls. They’re our re-creation of a dish we enjoyed in Paris at Khantine, a casual eatery that serves Khmer-inspired fare. There, chef Simon Octobre employs a two-day process to prepare the restaurant’s simmered, salted, then deep-fried pork belly that ends up both exceedingly tender and golden-brown crisp. Our faster, simpler version uses a hands-off roasting method that does the bulk of the cooking in a moderately low oven, then increases the heat to brown and crisp the skin. It’s important to purchase skin-on pork belly; skin-on boneless shoulder works well, too. In the supermarket meat case, these cuts often are skinless, so you may need to ask the butcher or order ahead. These rice bowls involve multiple components, but all are easy to make. The pickled vegetables can be prepared up to five days ahead and refrigerated; the sauce can be mixed a couple days ahead and refrigerated.