Monday, January 6, 2014

Sake-Braised Crispy Pork Belly

A mélange of several recipes, but with a decidedly Japanese base flavor. The inspiration comes from Hiroko’s American Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay’s Crispy Pork Belly (available here: http://www.carnivoreandvegetarian.com/2011/09/crispy-pork-belly-gordon-ramsay-style.html), and this associated recipe for (Japanese?) Crispy Pork Belly, which seems inspired by twice-cooked meats (http://www.carnivoreandvegetarian.com/2010/09/crispy-pork-belly-with-tofu-and.html).

Also, this seems to be the traditional recipe for Japanese braised pork belly: http://www.lafujimama.com/2013/05/japanese-braised-pork-belly/.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pork belly
soy sauce
honey
Worchestershire sauce
red pepper flakes

ginger
green onion
vegetable oil

sake
kelp or vegetable stock
mirin
sugar

Swiss chard or kale, chopped
onion
other vegetables (such as turnip, brussels sprouts)

rice vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. In a large bowl, combine 6 TBS soy sauce, 5 TBS honey, 3 TBS Worchestershire sauce, and 1 TBS red pepper flakes. Marinade the pork belly in the fridge for 2 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325 Fahrenheit (gas mark 3). Take out the pork belly and pat dry, reserving the marinade. Heat a pan with vegetable oil and fry the pork belly, fat side up at first, till all sides are browned. Put the pork belly in a medium pot of water and bring to boil with a slice of ginger and some green onion. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  3. Drain, cool with cold water, and pat dry the pork belly in a colander.
  4. Bring 1 cup of sake, 2 cups of stock, and 1/2 cup of mirin to boil in a pot. Pour into the container that will go into the oven. Add 2 TBS sugar, and then the pork belly, in a single layer, fat side up. Cover and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Meanwhile, blanche the Swiss chard and any other vegetables and set aside.
  6. Take out the pork belly from the oven. Add the reserved marinade, onion, and any other hard vegetable to the tray. Return to oven and cook for another 1/2 hour.
  7. Remove the pork belly from the oven and place in an airtight container along with the vegetables. Add 1 TBS soy sauce if desired to the cooking liquid. Return the cooking liquid to the pot and add 1 TBS rice vinegar. Cook over medium heat until reduced by 1/3. Separate the fat if necessary.
  8. When ready to prepare for serving, heat the vegetables and pork belly in the gravy for about 5 minutes, adding the Swiss chard.
  9. Heat the oven to 500 Fahrenheit (gas mark 9+). Cut the pork belly into squares and crisp the skin by roasting in the oven for 15-20 minutes with a drizzle of oil, fat side up ... or on the stove.
  10. Serve on rice or similar grain!