Barbecued Pork Belly Food

BARBECUED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• If you have time, season the pork all over with 2 tbsp sea salt a few hours before cooking - this acts as a dry brine but it isn't essential. If you don't have time, simply salt the pork all over. To make the rub, toast the peppercorns, cumin seeds and fennel seeds in a dry, hot pan, then grind them with the bay leaves. Mix thoroughly with the other rub ingredients. Will keep in an airtight container for one week.
• Set a lidded barbecue up for indirect cooking with a foil drip tray (see tip below) on the coal-free side. Light the coals and wait for them to die down to ashen. Put the lid on, then arrange the vents so a small stream of air is coming through. The temperature should be around 110C - stick a probe into the lid vent to get a reading if your barbecue doesn't have a thermometer.
• Pack the rub all over the pork. Throw a few new coals on the barbecue, add a good scattering of woodchips on top, then put on the grate. Sit the pork bone-side down over the drip tray and put on the lid, with the vents over the pork. Leave the pork to cook for 5-6 hrs, topping up with more woodchips and coals a few times during the smoking. After the initial blast, you want a slight, steady stream of smoke coming out of the vent.
• While the pork is smoking, make the BBQ sauce by mixing all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved. This is a thin 'mop' sauce for basting. If you want it thicker, gently bubble the sauce in a saucepan for a few mins. Will keep in the fridge for one week - the further ahead you make the sauce, the better it will taste.
• When the pork reaches 85C on a cooking thermometer, brush it all over with the sauce and continue to cook. Once the sauce has glazed onto the meat, remove the pork from the barbecue and rest for a while before slicing it into rib-bone-thick chops and serving with more sauce. For an extra kick, get the barbecue going again with a layer of hot coals, then put the chops back on the barbecue with some more sauce until the exposed fat is sizzling and the sticky sauce has charred on all sides.

BARBECUED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Step 1: Remove the skin (also called rind) from the pork belly (if still on). Score both sides with a sharp knife, cutting a 1-inch crosshatch pattern with cuts 1/4 inch deep. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 2: Make the rub: Place the salt, sugar, paprika, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, mustard powder, white pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Mix well with your fingers. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 3: Sprinkle the rub over the top, bottom, and sides of the pork belly, rubbing it into the meat with your fingers. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 4: Set up your smoker following the manufacturer's instructions, and preheat to 225 degrees. Add the wood as specified by the manufacturer. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 5: Smoke the pork belly fat side up until bronzed with smoke and the internal temperature is 165 degrees. This will take about 3 to 4 hours. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 6: You can serve the pork belly hot out of the smoker, but you'll get a better texture and flavor if you chill and reheat it. If using the second option, transfer the pork belly to a wire rack over a baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold. The recipe can be made up to 3 days ahead. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 7: Cut the chilled pork belly crosswise (against the grain) into 1/2-inch thick slices. Lightly season each slice on both sides with salt and pepper. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 8: Meanwhile, set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. Ideally, you'll be grilling over wood or will add some wood chunks to your fire. ShareTweetPin1K Shares Step 9: Arrange the pork belly strips on the grate on the diagonal and grill until sizzling and browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. (Give each slice a quarter turn after 1 minute to lay on a crosshatch of grill marks.) Don't over-crowd your grill. The melting fat may cause flare-ups-so you want to leave yourself plenty of maneuvering room to dodge the flames. ShareTweetPin1K Shares

PORK BELLY SLICES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas mark 4. Dry the belly slices with kitchen paper, then season with salt and pepper. Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and toss the slices in the sauce in a roasting tin. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 1hr 30 mins, until completely tender.
• Remove the foil and turn the grill to its highest setting. Grill the meat for 3-4 mins, turning it halfway and brushing over the sauce from the tin, until the sauce is thick and sticky and the slices are charred. Alternatively, put the braised slices on the barbecue and baste in the sauce from the roasting pan as they sizzle away. Serve in buns with coleslaw.