We're in France. They like their pig in France and the cuts of the pig are rather gorgeous. So when I see the most divine pork belly imaginable I find it difficult to pass. I'm not a big pork belly type. It's a rich cut. It's a blokes cut. It has to be treated with clean and clear respect in order for me to be interested in eating it let alone cooking it.
So.... step one, brining is a good way to extract extra moisture (so that when you cook it it's not a big wet mess) but also adds a lovely salinity to the end result. It's like seasoning from the inside. A wonderful way to treat many cuts.
Overnight it went, in the fridge, in a mix of salt to water (60gms of salt to 1litre of water).
The next day, rinsed (a very important step so you do not have a salty yuk) then braised for around 3.5 hours. This was a 600gm piece of pork belly. I ground some anise seed, star anise, black peppercorns and juniper berries, popping them in a pot with the drained rinsed pork and apple juice topping it up wiht water to cover (in a snug fitting pot). After the 3 and a half or so hours I took it out and bound it tightly, weighing it down for a day or two skin side down on a very flat surface.
This all sounds like a huge bother but it's not....it's simple steps that take no time physically, just time to plan.
Okey doke, after a couple of days pressing the pork is ready. The braising liquid should be reduced, set in the fridge and the layer of fat taken off. I didn't strain this liquid, I wanted the residue of pepper, anise and star anise.
Long story short now because there were a few other components I did as I had the time. Black rice risotto made with fennel and the pork braising liquor. Turnips pureed with full fat milk. Turnip mandolined and dry cooked in the oven which brings out the truffly umaminess turnips have in abundance. Mushrooms cooked in a little super good quality butter (sorry NZ but the French have butter in the bag), garlic and chicken stock until reduced and fully absorbed. The pork belly cut neatly (shavings cooked up separately in a pan until rendered and crisp shoved in a baguette with tomato for lunch were indescribably delicious).
This really was one of the best dishes I have cooked or, in fact, even eaten. No I will never be able to recreate it. The components were too layered to repeat but by gosh did we eat well and perfectly portioned. Making an otherwise rich dish beautifully light.
So.... step one, brining is a good way to extract extra moisture (so that when you cook it it's not a big wet mess) but also adds a lovely salinity to the end result. It's like seasoning from the inside. A wonderful way to treat many cuts.
Overnight it went, in the fridge, in a mix of salt to water (60gms of salt to 1litre of water).
The next day, rinsed (a very important step so you do not have a salty yuk) then braised for around 3.5 hours. This was a 600gm piece of pork belly. I ground some anise seed, star anise, black peppercorns and juniper berries, popping them in a pot with the drained rinsed pork and apple juice topping it up wiht water to cover (in a snug fitting pot). After the 3 and a half or so hours I took it out and bound it tightly, weighing it down for a day or two skin side down on a very flat surface.
This all sounds like a huge bother but it's not....it's simple steps that take no time physically, just time to plan.
Okey doke, after a couple of days pressing the pork is ready. The braising liquid should be reduced, set in the fridge and the layer of fat taken off. I didn't strain this liquid, I wanted the residue of pepper, anise and star anise.
Long story short now because there were a few other components I did as I had the time. Black rice risotto made with fennel and the pork braising liquor. Turnips pureed with full fat milk. Turnip mandolined and dry cooked in the oven which brings out the truffly umaminess turnips have in abundance. Mushrooms cooked in a little super good quality butter (sorry NZ but the French have butter in the bag), garlic and chicken stock until reduced and fully absorbed. The pork belly cut neatly (shavings cooked up separately in a pan until rendered and crisp shoved in a baguette with tomato for lunch were indescribably delicious).
This really was one of the best dishes I have cooked or, in fact, even eaten. No I will never be able to recreate it. The components were too layered to repeat but by gosh did we eat well and perfectly portioned. Making an otherwise rich dish beautifully light.
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