Vegetarians, avert your eyes…
We’re getting into the nitty gritty of pork belly today.
The pork belly ramen at David Chang’s Momofuku restaurant was one of my first experiences with it. Rodney and I went several years ago, waited for hours for a table, and sat down to ramen that can only be described as “well worth the wait.” A sweet harmony between chewy noodles, the porkiest porky broth, the belly itself, and what I now know to be a perfectly-runny 5:10 minute soft-boiled egg.
I soon decided to tackle pork belly at home, buying it in smaller pieces before graduating to larger roasts, which is what I prefer to cook these days. It makes enough for dinner and gives me a ton of meat for leftovers.
Although it shouldn’t have been a surprise – pork belly is really a big cut of bacon – I was intrigued when my kids started to profess their love for pork belly. Along with spaghetti and tomato sauce, pork belly is now a favorite dinner request.
If I were to rank the nutritional value of pork belly, it would rank right up there next to candy canes. So we don’t eat it often, making it a treat when I buy it.
But considering that it is the holidays, and that we’ll be eating like gluttons all week long, what’s the harm in an additional 1,000-calorie meal right?
I’ve been in a Thanksgiving frame of mind and can’t stop from using all manner of sage and cranberry; forgive me if you’re facing an overload of these ingredients. December will be about fruit cake and royal icing, and at a certain point you’re welcome to tell me to stop featuring those too.
Belly is nothing to look at in its raw state. You can buy it with the skin on – which is how it’s typically sold. You can alternatively ask your butcher to remove the skin, or do it yourself at home.
I’ve roasted pork belly with the skin on before, and it comes out flavorful, but with the texture of shoe leather. Michael Chang suggests that you can keep the skin and make Chicharrón with it, but it involves a dehydrator and some skill in removing every last trace of fat. Frankly, that will be a retirement project that I conduct from my home base in Palm Springs when I have silver hair and no longer risk stepping on small children at my feet.
For now, let’s talk about the rest of the belly. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this one is rubbed with a mixture of salt, sugar, chopped fresh sage and orange zest. I love all kinds of citrus at this time of year, but Satsumas, with their vibrant color and sweet juice is perfect for this. But pick a favorite orange, anything will work.
Don’t forget to drink a beer while you’re making it.
Roast on high heat for an hour, then turn down to low so that much of the fat will render out, leaving you with soft, shreddable meat and a crunchy exterior.
While the belly is roasting, switch gears and make your cranberry sauce.
One of my favorite cranberry sauce recipes is the one that I make for Thanksgiving every year. It’s a Zinfandel-based sauce, whose already spicy notes are accentuated by the addition of brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
I made a slightly different version for my pork – using a foundation of red wine, but adding orange peel, cinnamon, and when cooked, a few drops of bitters.
I first used bitters in something other than cocktails this summer when I added a few drops of Angusturra to a cherry pie. A favorite pie blog of mine had done something similar, and if I’m correct, the famous bakery Four & Twenty Blackbirds uses this method as well.
Bitters gives a sauce, or sweet, an unexpected and slightly herbal flavor – don’t use too much; a little goes a long way. Also, the kind of bitters that you use will influence the end result – some are more potent than others.
I’ve discovered a new brand of bitters from a company called Dram Apothecary – they carry it at my local Forager’s Market, but you can also find it online. The packaging and flavors are so playful, and I’ve loved using it in everything from food to cocktails and even tea.
Their Hair of the Dog bitters are made with ingredients such as Ginger, Cassia bark, Orange Peel, Kudzu Root, Licorice Root and Butternut Bark, making them a great compliment to the orange and red wine in the cranberry sauce. If you can’t find Dram bitters, feel free to use Angusturra as a substitute. The cranberry sauce would be great without the bitters too, but I find that they add a level of complexity that kicks the flavor profile up a notch.
Your end result is a ruby-hued jar of cranberry sauce that you can use with the pork, your Thanksgiving turkey, or spooned in between a grilled cheese.
To get the sauce thin enough to coat the pork, you’ll have to thin it out to a spreading consistency – water, a touch of wine, or even pomegranate molasses will do.
And that’s it – pork that can be served at the dinner table, or used like I did – in an open-faced sandwich reminiscent of Thanksgiving leftovers: bread, mayo, fresh greens, roasted squash, and a big heaping portion of sliced meat.
And a quick tip – keep some of the belly separate (unglazed) for other meals during the week. It plays well with any kind of noodle soup, or do like I did, which is shred it over breakfast soft tacos.
Enjoy everyone, and if you’re celebrating, have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week!
Roasted pork belly with cranberry glaze 2014-11-24 07:59:55 Serves 6 Write a review Save Recipe Print Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 3 hr Total Time 3 hr 20 min Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 3 hr Total Time 3 hr 20 min Ingredients- For the pork
- 1 3-lb piece pork belly, skin removed (it can also be in multiple pieces- often it’s cut into strips at the grocery store)
- 2 Tablespoons of fresh sage, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon of salt
- 1 Tablespoon of pepper
- 1 Tablespoon of orange zest
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- For the cranberry sauce
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup red wine
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2/3 cup brown sugar (or more to taste – I like my cranberry sauce a little bit tart)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Several large strips of orange peel (just the outer peel, not the pith)
- 3-6 drops of aromatic bitters, e.g. Dram, Angostura, etc.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove the pork belly from the fridge and let it come to room temp- approx 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the sage, salt, pepper and orange zest.
- Place the pork belly in a roasting dish, and coat the belly in olive oil, rubbing into the meat.
- Rub the herb mixture all over the pork belly, coating evenly.
- Place the pork belly in the oven and let it roast until the top is crispy, about 45 mins-1 hour.
- Reduce the oven to 300 degrees, and continue roasting for another 2 hours. The longer you roast the meat, the crispier it will become. For crispier meat, roast longer – if you want softer, more shreddable meat, aim for 2 hours.
- While the meat is roasting, you can make the cranberry sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine all of the cranberry sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. You should hear the cranberries start to pop – let them cook down, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.
- Taste the sauce – if it’s too tart, you can add a little more sugar and cook for a few more minutes.
- When the sauce is done, remove it from the stove, and stir in your bitters. Again, check for flavor, adding a little more if needed.
- If you’re going to use the cranberry sauce to glaze the pork (as opposed to eating it on the side), you’ll want to thin it out into a glazing consistency. You can do this by adding some of your cranberry sauce to a small bowl (a few Tablespoons will do), and then adding some liquid- either a little more squeezed orange juice, a touch more wine, or even water. Stir to combine.
- When the pork is nearly done, glaze it with your cranberry mixture, and stick it back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Just until the glaze is shiny and sticky.
- Remove the meat to a carving board, let stand for 5-10 minutes, and then carve.
- Pork can stay in the fridge, well-wrapped, for up to 2 days.
