Pork Belly With Lentils Food

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.

CRISPY GLAZED PORK BELLY WITH AROMATIC LENTILS

Steps:

• To make pickling liquid: Put the brown sugar, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, cloves, water and cider vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
• Put the pork belly into a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil, skim the top of the water to remove the impurities, then reduce to a simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Strain the pork from the water and rinse.
• Put the pork belly pieces into the pickling liquid and simmer for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, until tender.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the pork belly from the pickling liquid and pat dry. In a large cast iron pan over medium heat, sear the pork belly, season with salt, and pepper, then put in oven. Continue to check on the pork belly constantly turning the pieces over to ensure all sides are crispy, remove from the oven.
• Strain 2 cups of pickling liquid in a small pan and reduce by 2/3, until the liquid achieves a thick syrup consistency. Put the reduced pickling liquid, now a glaze, in a bowl and coat the crispy pork belly.
• Spoon the Aromatic Lentils and Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows in the center of the serving plate, then scatter the crispy glazed pork belly around the aromatic lentils and serve immediately. Serve with Baked Eggs, if desired, recipe follows.
• Mushrooms:
• Put the oil and butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the crimini mushrooms, garlic, and thyme, saute until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper, toss and remove from heat. Reserve the mushrooms to add to the cooked lentils.
• Put the lentils, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and water in a pot, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer, cook until lentils are tender.
• Remove the bay leaves, garlic, and shallots, and set aside. Strain the lentils and put in a large bowl. Puree the garlic and shallots, and add back to the lentils and season with salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed mushrooms and diced tomatoes to the lentils. Toss and garnish with chives.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Divide the vegetable oil and shallots evenly among 4 oven-proof wide-mouthed ramekins. Gently crack 2 eggs per ramekin. Divide the tomato, butter, and cream evenly among the ramekins. Season with salt, and pepper, and put in the oven for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, until eggs whites have set.
• Carefully, remove the ramekins from the oven and garnish with fresh sliced chives and serve immediately with toast.

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.

PORK STEWED WITH LENTILS AND CELERY

Steps:

• In a 3-quart sauté pan or casserole, heat bacon on medium-high until fat starts to render. Shuffle bacon to one side of the pan, add pork and cook about 10 minutes, turning, until pork is lightly browned (though you do not have to be too fussy about it). Add celery and shallots, reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 10 minutes more, stirring until vegetables soften. Add sage and season with salt and generously with pepper.
• Add wine. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken stock and stir in porcini and lentils. Cover and cook on low 45 minutes to an hour, until pork and lentils are tender. Stir in cream, bring to a simmer and check seasonings.
• Scatter celery leaves on top. Serve from the pan or transfer to a shallow bowl.