When she says “Bye” as I turn her off, I wave goodbye back. Since I received her as a 2020 Christmas gift, my Ninja Foodi has taken on an anthropomorphic role in my life. She is, after all, my loyal assistant in some of my most fulfilling times at home.
I was an air fryer early adopter, using it daily for everything from searing up a crisp marinated salmon steak to mastering the buttery layers of frozen Malaysian roti. But as ably as it reheated a slice of pizza, it was only big enough to do one at a time. And if I wanted to braise my chicken thighs before crisping, they had to do a round in my Le Creuset Dutch oven first.
No exaggeration, the ability to pressure-cook, then air-fry meat has changed my life. I’m getting verklempt just thinking about my buddy the Foodi and how much she has done for me. Together, we’ve made crispy whole chickens with honeyed lemon-herb sauce. We’ve prepared barbecue beef ribs for the whole family. And perhaps most importantly, she’s inspired my other half to start making chocolate lava cakes for two at the drop of a hat.
I called my air fryer “my Easy Bake Convection Oven,” but the Foodi’s nine settings make it possible to do practically anything. I have plans this summer to make bulgogi jerky using the “dehydrate” setting and to use the “yogurt” setting to create my own unusual flavors using fresh berries, herbs, and local honey.
It would be unfair to leave you without a recipe for one of my favorite Foodi triumphs. I based my skin-on pork belly recipe, which I first prepared for New Year’s Eve, on this one from pressurecookerrecipes.com, but simplified it in order to let the flavor of the fatty, crunchy meat really sing alongside my wheat berry salad.
Crisp-Skinned Pork Belly
1 skin-on pork belly (You can get this at Lotte Plaza, H Mart, or countless other Asian supermarkets)
1 cup chicken broth
8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
Salt, to taste, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 can olive oil spray
With a very sharp knife, score pork skin in squares just deep enough to avoid hitting the muscle. Season pork belly to taste on all sides. I find that it’s easiest to cut the meat into servable portions before cooking, as it will be very crispy and fall-apart tender afterward, making it difficult to cut cleanly.
Fill Foodi with chicken broth and garlic cloves, then place pork belly portions inside pot. Cover with pressure-cooker lid and set to pressure-cook for 30 minutes on high. Once it has cooked, allow a natural release of about 15 minutes. This is an important step to keep the shape of the tender meat.
Once pressure has released, blot skin with paper towels until dry. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of salt with baking powder in a small bowl. Thoroughly cover pork skin with the mixture. In the air-fryer basket, return pork to Foodi. Use the air-fryer lid to air fry for 25-30 minutes, until very crispy.
You’re done! Enjoy your juicy, crispy pork with a side that has plenty of acid to provide a foil for the meaty centerpiece of the meal.
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