Calgary’s Shiki Menya makes these OG Char Siu Tacos that are a love letter to diasporic Japanese cuisine – take something old, mix it with something new, and create something truly delicious.
ingredients
Char Siu & Pork Braise
Pineapple Salsa
Cilantro Mayo
Assembly & Garnish Toppings
directions
For the first step, place pork belly fat side down on a pre-heated, stove-top pan. Lightly sear both sides until lightly brown.
Then, add pork braise ingredients to a separate pot. Bring it to a light boil. The sauce needs to be salty for the flavour to soak into the pork.
Next, add the seared pork to the sauce and braise in the seasoning for 3 hours. After 3 hours, remove from the mixture and let it rest. The texture should be tender.
Finely chop pineapple to salsa size. Reserve a couple larger pieces for later.
Combine the salsa-sized pineapple in a bowl with the balance of the ingredients (except for the habanero). Set salsa aside.
Next, take a few of the larger reserved pieces of pineapple and combine with the habanero.
In a blender, mix the larger pineapple bits and habanero to create a spicy juice to pour over the salsa for extra flavour.
Wash cilantro and tap dry.
In a blender, blend the oil and cilantro until smooth. Do not add too much oil but enough for it to appear smooth. In a bowl, combine with the mayo and mix well. Set aside for next step.
On a grill, heat the mini tacos and cheese.
Then, layer your mini tacos with the cilantro mayo, pre-cooked pork belly, pineapple salsa, freshly chopped cilantro, dried crushed ramen noodles and, finally, a lime wedge for the side. Enjoy.