Midwest Bipbimbop With Pork Belly Food

PORK BELLY CRACKLING

Steps:

• Combine brown sugar, chili powder, salt, allspice, fennel seed and pepper in a bowl.
• Score pork belly all over with a sharp knife, making a crisscross of lines 1/2 inch apart. (Do not cut past fat.)
• Carefully work the rub into both skin and meat sides and allow to cure 8 hours or up to 2 days in the fridge.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut pork belly into 3 equal pieces and place in a hotel pan or roasting tray. Cover with Veal Stock and add red wine, celery, carrot and onion. Cover with foil and bake until a knife inserts easily, about 3 1/2 hours. Allow pork belly to sit in the stock for 30 minutes to reabsorb juices. Remove to a clean tray with two metal spatulas. Cool to 70 degrees within 2 hours and 40 degrees within 4 hours.
• Bring oil to 350 degrees F in a deep-fryer. Cut pork into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes. Fry until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Toss in Star Anise Red Wine Reduction, then season with salt and pepper. Serve with extra Star Anise Red Wine Reduction on the side.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Combine bones, celery, carrots, onions and tomato paste in a roasting tray and roast, stirring twice to ensure aromatic vegetables and bones, until dark brown in color, about 1 hour.
• Transfer bones and vegetables to a very large stockpot. Place roasting tray on stove top over medium-high heat, add red wine to the tray and cook, scraping drippings from the bottom until completely dislodged. Pour the contents into the stockpot and cover with 20 quarts cold water.
• Place stockpot over low heat, add bay leaves and peppercorns and simmer for 24 hours, skimming the top regularly to remove impurities.
• Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Cool to 70 degrees within 2 hours and 40 degrees within 4 hours.
• Add brown sugar, vinegar, star anise, orange zest and juice, cinnamon sticks and 3 cups water to a medium saucepot over medium heat. Simmer sauce until reduced by a third to a half, for 2 to 3 hours.
• Cool and set aside.

EMERIL'S NEW ORLEANS' ASIAN-STYLE BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Place each portion of pork belly in a 1-gallon re-sealable plastic bag. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, light brown sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, ginger, green onions and sambal and use a whisk to blend well. Divide the mixture between the 2 plastic bags and seal them. Place in a baking dish or roasting pan and refrigerate overnight, or for 8 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the pork belly, skin sides down in a 9 by 13 inch glass oven proof baking dish, or a small roasting pan and pour the marinade and 3 cups of the chicken stock over and around the pork belly. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Turn the pork belly over and roast for another 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and place on a counter top, or cooling rack to cool. Use a fork and long, sharp, thin-bladed knife to remove the skin from the pork. Allow the pork to cool in the cooking liquid and, once cooled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator and uncover. Carefully remove any congealed fat that rests on top of the cooking liquid. Using a sharp knife, score the fat layer of the pork in a cross hatch pattern.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the remaining cup of chicken stock to the pan and place in the oven. Cook the pork belly until slightly caramelized on top and warmed through, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and divide into 6 even portions. Place the frisee in a large bowl and toss with the rice wine vinegar. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• To serve, place a portion of the pork on a warmed entree plate with 2 ounces of the frisee. Pour some of the sauce over the pork and serve immediately.

PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Combine the salt and sugar and completely cover the pork belly with the mixture. Refrigerate for 20 to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Rinse the salt and sugar off the pork and transfer to a large pan. Add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic and cover with water. Cover the pan with foil or a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven until the pork is very tender, 13 to 15 hours.
• Gently remove the pork, place in between 2 pans and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Cut the pork into 6-ounce portions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a saute pan and saute the pork skin-side down until crisp and hot.

CRISPY PORK BELLY

Steps:

• For the chile gastrique: In a medium saucepan, bring the Nam Pla to a boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce the sauce by half. Chill.
• For the pork belly: Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a medium pot.
• Carefully lower the Pork Belly into the oil using a fry basket. (Make sure there is no excess moisture on the pork. This can cause splattering.) Fry the pork until the skin and flesh are very crispy and have darkened significantly. Place on a plate lined with paper towels and quickly build the salad.
• In a small bowl, toss together the green papaya, carrot, tomato, onion, half of each of the herbs and the Nam Pla. Mix with tongs to incorporate.
• Place the mixed green papaya salad on a decorative plate. Form a bed for the pork.
• Place the pork, slightly fanned out, on the green papaya salad. Drizzle the pork generously with 1 ounce chile gastrique (save the remainder for another use). Sprinkle the dish with diced macadamia nuts and the remaining herbs.
• Mix together the honey, lime juice, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic and sambal in a bowl. Best made a couple days in advance to allow flavors to marry.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Lightly spray the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle over the ginger, garlic and scallion.
• Rinse the pork belly under running cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the pork over the aromatics in the pan, skin-side up. Mix the mirin, sake, teriyaki and sambal in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the top of the pork belly. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until fork-tender, about 3 hours.
• Remove the pork and place another similar dish on top as a weight. Use cans or other heavy items to create additional weight. Press the pork, refrigerated, overnight. This will make the pork even in thickness and allow for a better fry. Slice the following day, once the pork has chilled and set completely.

BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully place one piece of pork in the saute pan and sear, turning once, until golden. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork. Set aside.
• Carefully add the beer to the drippings in the pan and cook, scraping up the cooked bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced.
• Heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil in a large flame-proof roasting pan over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the pork to the roasting pan. Add the deglazed pan juices and enough chicken stock to cover the pork and vegetables. Add the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves and 2 generous pinches of salt. Cover the pan with foil and braise for 3 hours. Remove the foil and roast 30 minutes more. This will allow the pork to gain a beautiful color and for the braising liquid to reduce.
• Let the pork cool in the braising liquid for 30 minutes to increase tenderness. Remove the pork from the roasting pan and strain the braising liquid. Refrigerate separately until ready to use. The pork can be served sliced or shredded.

EASY WEEKNIGHT BIBIMBAP

Steps:

• Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Cook the brown rice according to the package directions, omitting any fat. Once cooked, leave the rice covered in the pot (off the heat).
• Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, ginger, sugar, garlic and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. In separate bowls, combine the meat and scallions with 1/4 cup of the soy mixture; the cucumbers with 2 teaspoons; the carrots with 2 teaspoons; the zucchini with 2 teaspoons and the shiitakes with the remaining 1 teaspoon of the soy mixture.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and stir-fry until it is slightly pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes. (It will continue cooking as it stands.) Use tongs to transfer the meat to a clean bowl, leaving the liquid in the pan.
• Add the spinach to the pan and cook, tossing constantly, until it is soft and bright green, about 2 minutes; transfer to a clean bowl. Add the zucchini and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a clean bowl. Add the shiitake and stir-fry until the liquid is thick and the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs to the pan and cook until the whites are just set.
• Divide the rice evenly among 4 serving bowls; top with the beef, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, spinach and shiitake. Drizzle with gochujang and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Add an egg to the center of each bowl and drizzle with more gochujang. Serve immediately.