April 8, 2007...12:04 pm
Poor man’s foie gras
If you were cutting this, you’d be licking your fingers right now
Pork belly is bacon that hasn’t been smoked. It’s layers of fat and meat, stuff you wouldn’t just gobble up.
Until you roast it. Then the top layer of fat turns cracker-crisp, while fat renders out in the oven.
The result is so decadent, so rich, that it makes people swoon. When your 7-year-old daughter asks for the pork belly for her special birthday dish, and a 30-something woman who has eaten in some of the best restaurants in Manhattan tells you your simple roasted pork belly is one of the best things she’s ever eaten, you take notice.
You’re not going to need a lot of this for a serving - four ounces or less. (I used my local farm-raised pork belly from Native Offerings; I’m not sure which butcher counters carry it locally.)
The richness begs for something tart and fruity alongside. I wished I had some of the sour Niagara County cherries that Kathy picked last summer, or even a compote of plums. Maybe grilled fresh pineapple with a mint-rum glaze?
However complicated you want to get on the rest of the plate, this roast Chinese pork belly really couldn’t be simpler. Rub pork belly with salt and five-spice powder, let dry out for two hours, roast. I let the time sneak up on me the last time I made it, and I hit it with a hairdryer for 15 minutes instead. It was a crackling good time.
Roast pork belly
(From “The Food of China”)
2 pounds pork belly
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
Mix salt with five-spice powder and rub into pork belly. Set oven to 475 F. Let dry uncovered in the fridge for at least two hours - or if you’re in a hurry, hit it with a hairdryer for 15 minutes.
Put the pork belly on a rack, on a pan, and roast for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 F until crispy and browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Chop into chunks and serve with dipping sauce or hoisin sauce.
Dipping sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce
Mix all ingredients.
6 Comments
April 8, 2007 at 5:47 pm
I still have dreams about this stuff. Seriously.
April 10, 2007 at 8:34 am
Andrew, we drove past Palace of Dosas yesterday and it’s open now… We are looking forward to making a trip there soon.
Thanks for the list of local farmers, will certainly try it.
April 10, 2007 at 6:49 pm
OH!!! That’s MUCH better than foi gras. Sigh.
November 2, 2007 at 10:23 pm
What a beautiful thing to do with pork! This is also a great alternative to the typical smoking of bacon. While bacon is, of itself irresistable, people sensitive to presevatives like nitrates may be delighted with this. The butchers we have worked with are USDA inspected and are required to use a trace (how much this exactly is..I’m not sure) amount of nitrate to preserve the meat. The smoking process is usually a maple smoke to flavor and futher preserve the pork. Thanks for a new recipe to try!
April 19, 2008 at 12:58 am
Wow,
I love pork belly. Thanks for the yummy recipe. Have not had good one since leaving Thailand. I got it from Chinatown Bangkok. Write more please,
Jitti
April 19, 2008 at 1:03 am
By the way, I love stir fry any kind of veggie with crispy pork belly. Just cook with garlic first to crisp it up, then add beansprout, bok choy or etc.
It taste better than putting bacon. Trust me
Jitti
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