Half healthy and half decadent is just the way to go sometimes, so let’s talk about veggies AND let’s talk about juicy, salty pork belly!

This recipe is a little different from my usual spaghetti squash meals because I love serving it right inside of the squash bowl. This time you’ll be pulling out the “spaghetti” strands and stir frying them, which is pretty exciting. I was surprised by how much this actually tastes like a legitimate chow mein, and adding the crispy pork belly takes it to another level!

For the pork belly, you’ll need to get started ahead of time with marinating it in the refrigerator. Season it with Chinese Five Spice and white pepper, then flip it over and add some rice wine vinegar to the bottom of the dish.

This marinates for 12 hours in the fridge!

Then pat the skin dry, make slits in the sides to stuff a few garlic cloves in, cake some salt on the top to create a crusty crust, and bake it!

Scrape off the salt crust and throw it back in the oven to crisp up a bit more before slicing! This is what it looks like after it’s done, and oh my goodness, it’s incredible:

Wow, after all of that indulgence, you will need to eat your veggies.

The chow mein is easy peasy, it’s just going to be roasted spaghetti squash sautéed with tons of veggies and tossed with an Asian sauce you will make!

I used a surprisingly delicious soy-less substitute for soy sauce – coconut aminos. Give it a try if you’re paleo or primal!

Behold the finished product:

All it needs is a few slices of salty, crispy porky goodness!

Veggie Chow Mein with Crispy Pork Belly 

This chow mein recipe is a primal adaptation inspired by Damn Delicious’ Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein, which can be found here: https://damndelicious.net/2017/02/18/spaghetti-squash-chow-mein/

Ingredients:

Chow Mein: 

The insides of 1 roasted spaghetti squash, forked into strands

1/4 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbs oyster sauce

1 tbs freshly grated ginger

2 tbs olive oil

1 diced onion

3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally

2 carrots, julienned

2 cups cabbage, shredded

Pork Belly: 

1 1/2 lb pork belly, skin on

2 tsp Chinese Five Spice

2 tsp ground white pepper

2 tbs rice wine vinegar

2 cloves minced garlic

4 small, whole garlic cloves

Kosher salt

Directions:

1. The morning of the meal, slice your pork belly into thick slabs (as pictured). Season the meat parts of your pork belly (not the fat) liberally with the Chinese Five Spice and white pepper. Place the pork belly meat-side down in a shallow pan, and add the vinegar (take care not to get the vinegar on the fat) and 2 cloves minced garlic on the bottom. Pat the fat dry with paper towels, and leave the pork belly uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the pork belly from the fridge, take it out of the pan, and make a couple 2-inch incisions in the sides. Stuff a small whole garlic clove into each incision (stuff deeply enough so garlic is not visible to prevent burning in the oven).

3. Cover a baking sheet in foil, then top it with a wire rack. Place the pork belly slabs on the wire rack meat-side down, and spread an even, thick layer of kosher salt over the fat on top of each slab. Bake for 1 hour, or until the pork is tender and the salt has formed a crust.

4. Remove the baking pan from the oven, and carefully scrape off the salt crust. Increase oven temperature to 465 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes more. Let rest.

5. While pork belly is in its final stage of baking, whisk the coconut aminos (or soy sauce), 3 cloves minced garlic, oyster sauce, and ginger together in a small bowl. Set aside.

6. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, and add the celery, carrots, and onions. Cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cabbage, and cook for 1 minute more.

7. Stir in spaghetti squash and the sauce mixture until combined and heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Slice the pork belly, and serve it alongside the chow mein.