Pork Belly Recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time:  3 days  (2 days to cure, 1 day to cook, minutes to plate)

CURING SKIN-ON MANGALITSA BELLY

Ingredients:

• Skin-on Mangalitsa pork belly
• 3 quarts pork jus
• Fortified pork stock with pork and veal bones
• ½ head garlic, crushed
• 1 thumb ginger
• 3 overripe peaches
• 1 cup white wine
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ Serrano chile
• Large pinch whole toasted peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ bunch thyme

To make pork jus:  combine the first 4 ingredients in pot and simmer

To cure belly:  season with salt, pepper, sugar, dry rub and place skin-down in container, add jus to cover belly, cover container and refrigerate at least overnight (2 days preferred)

To cook:  Add remaining ingredients and braise belly skin side down with jus, weighted in pan. Cook for 6 hours at 200 degrees.

Chill belly in jus until jus turns to jelly  (takes about 3-4 hours)

Best to leave overnight in refrigerator

To prep belly:  Remove from pan and slice approximately ½ inch thick
(Note:  Fat congealed on outside of belly may be removed, jellied jus may be saved to add to future stock)

FERMENTED PEACH

Ingredients:

• 1 peach cut in half
• Granulated sugar
• Pinch of dry yeast or white wine yeast EC118

To ferment peach: dust lightly with granulated sugar mixed with pinch of dry yeast. Cover with tepid water and leave out overnight in container covered with paper towel secured with rubber band.

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

• 100 grams whole grain mustard
• 15 grams raw garlic
• 25 grams lemon juice
• 15 grams sherry vinegar
• 50 grams grape seed oil
• 100 grams olive oil
• 60 grams vegetable stock
• 10 grams salt

To make:  Combine first 4 ingredients in blender, blend, then add remaining ingredients and blend again.
Note: following this order improves emulsification.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ounces maitake mushrooms
• Fresh peach
• Salad greens – spring mix or baby braising greens(Chard, black kale, radicchio, frisee)
• Maitake mushrooms:  Break into 8 pieces and grill until tender
• Pork belly:  Place on grill along with mushrooms long enough to make grill marks

TO PREPARE DISH

1]        Dress greens with mustard vinaigrette and plate

2]        Cut peaches into slices and plate – alternating fresh and fermented peaches

3]        Grill mushrooms until tender and grill pork belly long enough to make grill marks

4]        While grilling, fry sliced pigs ears(can be done one hour ahead and reserved at      room temp.)

5]        Plate mushrooms on top of peaches

6]        Place grilled pork belly on top of mushrooms