Slow-Cooked Pork Belly

Method

Make it

1. 01

   Cut the skin away from the pork belly and sprinkle half of the Kosher salt in the bottom of a tray and add the pork belly, fat cap down. Scatter the rest of the Kosher salt over the top and rub in well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour. After 1 hour, take the pork belly out of the fridge and wash it thoroughly. If you don’t wash the pork belly, the pork will be too salty. Preheat the oven to 285°F. Place the sliced onions, the sliced carrots, the minced garlic cloves and the fresh thyme stems into a pan and cover with the filtered water. Place the pork belly on top of the vegetables. Cover the pork belly with a lid and roast for 4 hours.

2. 02

   After 4 hours, take the pork belly out of the oven, remove it from the pan, transfer the jus into a medium-sized saucepan, and reduce the jus over medium heat on the stove for 2 minutes. Drain the pork sauce through a strainer into a small container. Cover the container and keep cool overnight in the fridge. Place the pork belly in a new container and put a heavy pot on top of the pork belly to press it down. Place the pork belly in the fridge over night to rest. You may have noticed that the pork buckled and changed it’s form while roasting. Meat that has a nice band of fat around the outside, like the pork belly, can start buckling quickly. This is because the fat loses its moisture faster than the rest of the meat, and shrinks while cooking. To allow for a perfect square of meat, we need to press the pork down overnight in the fridge.

3. 03

   Heat 3 tbsp of cane sugar in a pan over medium heat. As the sugar breaks down into liquid, stir constantly. You will want the caramelized sugar to be a brown ombre color, and a thick sticky texture. Add the 1/2 cup apple cider and deglaze the caramelized sugar. Add the pork belly jus (without the fat), boil up the jus and reduce the jus while simmering. This may take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the 1 tbsp soy sauce and simmer for 1 more minute.

4. 04

   Reduce the heat and add the 3 tbsp unsalted butter, one piece at a time and whisk vigorously until each piece of butter has been incorporated into the sauce. The butter will give the jus a nice soft gloss and shine. Set aside until plating the dish.

5. 05

   Heat the pork belly fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until starting to soften, this may take up to 3 minutes. Add the 8 cups of shredded kale and sauté the kale for 1 minute. Add the 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds, the 2 tbsp filtered water and 1/4 tbsp sea salt. Sauté for 2 minutes, cover and cook for about 6 minutes. Open the lid and stir often until the kale is wilted and tender. Drizzle the kale with the 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and keep warm until served.

6. 06

   Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a bowl, combine the radishes, the 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, the 1/2 tbsp sea salt and the 1/4 tbsp garlic powder. Toss all ingredients until the radishes are evenly coated. Spread the radishes out in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes tossing every 5 minutes. Take the radishes out of the oven, set aside until ready to plate the dish. The radishes will be served at room-temperature.

7. 07

   Take the pork belly out of the fridge and cut it into squared portions. Try to cut perfect squares. Roast all sides of each portioned pork belly in a pan under medium heat until each side is golden brown and crispy. In a small bowl, mix together the 2 tbsp honey, the 2 tbsp whole grain mustard and the 1 tsp of white wine vinegar. Place the pork belly portions on a baking pan and cover the top of each portion with the honey and mustard glaze mixture. Preheat the oven to 395°F and bake the glazed pork belly for 5 to 8 minutes.

8. 08

   Now it is time to plate the dish. Start with the braised kale, add the warm pork belly on top of the braised kale and drizzle the apple cider jus over the pork belly and the braised kale. Add the roasted radishes to complete the dish.