Crispy Glazed Pork Belly With Aromatic Lentils Food

HONEY-GLAZED PORK BELLY BURNT ENDS

Steps:

• Set up a smoker or grill with a smoke box to 300 degrees F using cherry, apple or hickory wood.
• Cut the pork belly into 2-inch-wide strips, then into 2-inch cubes. Toss in a bowl with the BBQ rub and oil. Lay out the cubes fat-side down on a wire rack, with a bit of space between each cube.
• Place the rack in the smoker or on the grill over indirect heat and cook until the cubes are a deep mahogany and permeated with smoke, about 2 hours.
• Place the pork belly cubes into an aluminum pan. Sprinkle all over with the butter pieces and brown sugar. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, return to the smoker or the grill over indirect heat and cook until super tender, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• In a medium bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce. Remove the aluminum foil, pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the pork belly cubes and toss to coat. Place back in the smoker or on the grill and cook, uncovered, until caramelized, another 5 to 10 minutes.

PORK BELLY WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Score the fat on the belly and season both sides with salt and pepper. Make a bed in a roasting pan with the carrots and onions. Lay the pork belly on top, skin-side up. Pour over the cider and a cup of water. Cook 30 minutes to get the fat running. Stir together the honey and Dijon with a spoonful of water. Brush the mustard mixture onto the fat, and lower the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue cooking, basting occasionally with the honey, for 3 hours.
• An hour before the belly is done, start the lentils. Rinse the lentils in cold water, drain, and put in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water, the shallot, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently until tender, 30 to 40 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure no more water is needed. Drain the lentils, and season with salt, and pepper. Set aside to reheat later.
• Remove the belly from the oven when it's done, and transfer to a baking sheet. Return it to the oven at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes to crispen the skin.
• Meanwhile, drain the juices from the roasting pan into a measuring cup, reserving the vegetables and keeping them warm. Pour the fat off the juices, using some to moisten the lentils and saving the rest for another use. Deglaze the roasting pan with the vinegar and reduce to a glaze, then add the cooking juices and cook down for a minute or two. Reheat the lentils gently.
• Slice the belly and serve with the vegetables, and with the pork-fat moistened lentils.

"COCHINITOS" CARAMEL AND CHILI GLAZED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Mix together 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the salt-sugar all over the pork belly. Wrap the pork in plastic, transfer to a plate and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse the pork and pat dry. Set the pork in a small baking dish, fat-side up, and add 1/2 cup water. Bake for 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the meat is very tender, about 45 minutes longer. Let the pork cool, and then cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Cook 1/4 cup of the sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it starts to melt, 2 minutes. Swirl the pan and continue to cook over medium heat until it is completely melted, 5 minutes. Occasionally wash down the side of the pan to release any sugar crystals using a wet pastry brush. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cook, swirling, until a richly brown caramel forms, 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour in 1/3 cup water. Turn the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the caramel is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar, cilantro, syrup and chiles. Serve with the pork.

BOURBON-GLAZED PORK BELLY CHUNKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Pour 100ml of the bourbon into a small, shallow roasting tin and add the star anise. Season the pork belly, put in the tin and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 3 hrs. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 1 hr. You can chill the pork for up to 2 days at this stage.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the pork from the tin. Using a small, sharp knife, pare away the rind from the meat, leaving a small layer of fat. Cut the meat into 2cm chunks and return to the tin. Roast for 20 mins until crisp and sizzling, turning regularly.
• Meanwhile, tip the ketchup, soy sauce, honey and remaining bourbon into a small pan. Set over a high heat and bubble for 5 mins until thick and syrupy. Pour over the chunks of pork and toss to coat. Roast for 10 mins more until sticky.
• Snip the chives into the sour cream, if you like, and serve alongside the pork chunks with cocktail sticks.

CRISPY PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Season pork belly all over with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Wrap pork in parchment paper; wrap a second time in aluminum foil, and a third time in another sheet of aluminum foil. Place pork packet in a baking dish.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender for 6 hours. Let cool in wrappings to room temperature; place cooled packet in refrigerator and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
• Unwrap chilled meat. Save any rendered fat that falls away when unwrapping pork.
• Cut meat into 6 equal-size portions. Cut 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch slashes in the fat-side of the pork. Season with salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons reserved pork fat in a skillet over medium heat. Place pork belly, fat side down, in hot fat; cook until well-browned on all sides and heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork belly to a plate, drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.

WARM LENTIL AND SMOKED PORK BELLY SALAD

Steps:

• Put the pork belly or bacon in a pot with one of the onion halves stuck with a clove, 2 small thyme branches and the carrot. Cover with a quart of water and simmer gently until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm in liquid.
• Meanwhile, put the lentils in a pan. Add the other .5 onion stuck with a clove, 2 small thyme branches and the bay leaf. Add 4 cups water and a little salt. Simmer gently over medium heat until firm-tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain (discard onion, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their skins in well-salted water until done, about 15 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
• Make the vinaigrette: Macerate the shallot in the red wine vinegar for 5 minutes in a small bowl. Add the garlic, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to make a thick sauce. Stir in the chopped capers and cornichons. Just before serving, stir in .25 cup scallions and .5 cup parsley.
• To serve, dress the lentils with half the vinaigrette, then transfer to a platter or serving bowl. Slice the pork belly crosswise into .25-inch slices (save the broth for soup) and arrange over the lentils. Cut the potatoes lengthwise and arrange, cut-side up, around the platter. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the sliced meat and potatoes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon each scallions and parsley.