Crispy Pork Belly w/ Balsamic Reduction Sauce

[RETARD]

Finally! It's Friday night
I figured you can't really go wrong with Crispy Pork Belly
Speaking of bellies ... my belly has been demanding i cook this since Monday
So join with me, let your belts out a notch or 2 and enjoy the land of salty, sugary, vinegary, buttery, deliciousness that is to come.

Balsamic Reduction Sauce:

• 500ml Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Whole Garlic Cloves - peeled and squashed (so we can take them out later)
• 2 tlb finely, finely, finely Chopped rosemary (i used my coffee grinder)
• 2tlb Butter - definitely butter and not marg for this one.
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Pretty much all kids in the pool (OR a small saucepan would be better) with the exception of the butter.
Bring to the boil and then reduce to a decent simmer for 15 mins until about 1/3 of the liquid remains.
Take off the heat and stir in the butter 1 tlb at a time.
sit aside til you're ready to serve - where you can just warm it quickly before spooning over.
This does make quite a bit of liquid but you can either freeze it in icecube trays or put it in a bowl in the fridge to use during the week.
It goes well with white meat & maybe even on poached eggs with bacon and tomatoes for breakfast maybe even a burger

Pork Belly:

• 1 kg Pork Belly - serves approx 4 hungry ppl
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 2 tlb fine Salt
• 2 heads of garlic dissected in half
• Some sprigs of thyme (2 tsp dried is fine if thats what you have)
• cold Water
• 150ml Chicken Stock
• Crank your oven to 220 deg C

If your butcher was as useless as a hat full of assholes (like the one i went to today) you will need to score the skin with a sharp knife using diagonal lines about 1 inch apart. Turn it 90 degrees and repeat.
You should now have a diamond pattern on the skin.
I also had the bone still attached. I find it easier to separate it at this stage, but dont throw it out as we will use it as a rack to place the belly on whilst cooking.

In a roasting tray place the garlic & thyme. This will be a little bed for the pork belly to sit on whilst it cooks.
Thoroughly rub in the Olive Oil & Salt to the skin of the pork.
Place onto the garlic & Thyme
Pour the stock and water into the tray (not over the meat) until it is 1 cm or so below the bottom of the meat .
After about 30 mins your skin should be nice and crispy.
If you have trouble getting crispy skin ... turn on your griller to help speed the process up. You may have to move the pork around every few mins so it doesnt burn.

Now thats done - turn the oven back to 170 deg C
Check on the meat at 20 min intervals over the next hour making sure the water hasnt evporated.
Whilst the pork is resting cook the vegetables (they are small and dont take long)

Garnish:

• Parsley leaves
• Finely Sliced Chilli
• Finely Sliced Spring(green) Onion
• Finely sliced Carrot strips

Vegetables:

• 1/2 Sweet Potato cut in small pieces
• 100ml cream
• Salt & pepper

Cook in simmering water for a few mins til tender
Drain off and mash with cream, S&P in a small bowl

• 2 white potatoes cut into cubes
• 1 carrot cut into cubes
• Frozen peas
• 1 tlb Chicken Stock Powder
• 500ml water

Simmer in chicken stock & Water
Drain & Plate up

• Baby Spinach leaves
• 1 tlb Butter & Chicken Stock

Use the same saucepan as above.
Just wilt the leaves in butter and stock for 60 secs

[Lespom]

Well there's Sunday dinner all worked out, thanks for that......

Being a basic type cook, I've heard a lot of people talk about scalding the pork rind with boiling water and drying it before cooking, does it help? (Don't want to hijack with a big debate/discussion).

[RETARD]

Good O
Theres that option too
Plenty of different ways to cook pork belly - my favourite one requires over night in the fridge and multiple steps of salt.
The method in the recipe is a good way with the least hassle, but essentially yes we want to remove the moisture from the skin to make it extra crispy. If you want to take the extra time & steps to remove the moisture then i say go for it. I chose not to do it this time around as i was cooking on the same night as i bought it.

I would bring the pork to room temp for at least an hour before starting the salt / oil process.
Take is as far as you can with out it turning black (burnt) then reduce the temp and all should be good in the world

Originally Posted by Lespom

Well there's Sunday dinner all worked out, thanks for that......

Being a basic type cook, I've heard a lot of people talk about scalding the pork rind with boiling water and drying it before cooking, does it help? (Don't want to hijack with a big debate/discussion).

[RETARD]

How did you fare Lespom?
any luck?

[pugsley]

Originally Posted by Lespom

Being a basic type cook, I've heard a lot of people talk about scalding the pork rind with boiling water and drying it before cooking, does it help? (Don't want to hijack with a big debate/discussion).

I recently visited the parents for a few days and mum decided to cook roast pork for tea. The time comes for her to get cooking and a few minutes later i hear a strange noise coming from the kitchen. I walk in on one of the oddest things i've ever seen my mother do. She's blow drying the roast with a hairdrier...

It works though. best i can tell is that the 5 minute blow dry really did dry out the skin. To the point that it started to shrink a bit. She then sprayed it with a bit of oil and rubbed in some sea salt. It went into the oven and when it was cooked all of the skin on the roast had crackled up and was like blistered glass. (If blistered glass was made of delicious pork rind and fat )

Might have to give this one a go when i have the night to myself (Room mate doesnt like pork :/ )

[RETARD]

haha thats a new one to me, & hey if it works i say don't knock it.
Sounds like you have the perfect room mate .... more pork for you!

Originally Posted by pugsley

I recently visited the parents for a few days and mum decided to cook roast pork for tea. The time comes for her to get cooking and a few minutes later i hear a strange noise coming from the kitchen. I walk in on one of the oddest things i've ever seen my mother do. She's blow drying the roast with a hairdrier...

It works though. best i can tell is that the 5 minute blow dry really did dry out the skin. To the point that it started to shrink a bit. She then sprayed it with a bit of oil and rubbed in some sea salt. It went into the oven and when it was cooked all of the skin on the roast had crackled up and was like blistered glass. (If blistered glass was made of delicious pork rind and fat )

Might have to give this one a go when i have the night to myself (Room mate doesnt like pork :/ )

[pugsley]

Originally Posted by RETARD

haha thats a new one to me, & hey if it works i say don't knock it.
Sounds like you have the perfect room mate .... more pork for you!

It certainly seemed to work.
As for the room mate, yeah i get more pork, but if i do a roast the prick still steals some crackling

[RETARD]

you've inspired a desperate thought ...
who needs an oven at all?
just use a hair dryer and an iron to get your crackling maxxed out
plus the added bonus of all your clothes smelling like bacon

[Stonewall]

Originally Posted by RETARD

Good O
Theres that option too
Plenty of different ways to cook pork belly - my favourite one requires over night in the fridge and multiple steps of salt.

I am curious what is the texture of the meat itself after the hour of cooking? Does it go fairly soft/tender or is it still fairly firm? I am a big fan of the melt in the mouth texture which I can never get in an oven and have to use a slow cooker, but are then unable to get any sort of real crackle going.

[Lespom]

Originally Posted by RETARD

How did you fare Lespom?
any luck?

Got waylaid buy mates and beer (typical Sunday), anyway, just did a plain belly, scored it, scalded it with a full kettle, skin shrinks a bit. Then dry and a good rub with sea salt. Into a hot, preheated 220 oven for 30 mins, down to 180 for the rest. Came out great, nice crispy crackle, moist tender meat. Beer Goggles made it look and taste good at the time. Checked leftovers in fridge Monday sans beer goggles, still great.

[--B--]

oh wow. this looks sensational

i will certainly be cooking this one on the weekend.

thanks retard, one of your best mate!

[RETARD]

Stonewall because you crisp the crackling first you are really just putting it back in the oven to cook the belly through to your liking.
If you were real padantic theres absolutely no reason you couldnt ask your butcher to separate the skin from the meat. (or do it yourself its easy)
Slow cook the meat in the oven/slowcooker for 3 or so hours @ 140/150C and then while its resting just do your crackling with a quick blast under the griller / hair dryer / iron

Originally Posted by Stonewall

I am curious what is the texture of the meat itself after the hour of cooking? Does it go fairly soft/tender or is it still fairly firm? I am a big fan of the melt in the mouth texture which I can never get in an oven and have to use a slow cooker, but are then unable to get any sort of real crackle going.

Lespom
at first i read this as you got laid by your mates i was thinking it must of been an awesome meal!
The main thing is you cooked something that was enjoyed by all.
What more can your guests ask for?
Well done

Originally Posted by Lespom

Got waylaid buy mates and beer (typical Sunday), anyway, just did a plain belly, scored it, scalded it with a full kettle, skin shrinks a bit. Then dry and a good rub with sea salt. Into a hot, preheated 220 oven for 30 mins, down to 180 for the rest. Came out great, nice crispy crackle, moist tender meat. Beer Goggles made it look and taste good at the time. Checked leftovers in fridge Monday sans beer goggles, still great.

Thanks --B--
I've still got the sauce adding it to bits and pieces i cook through out the week.
Good Luck - hope it goes well

Originally Posted by --B--

oh wow. this looks sensational

i will certainly be cooking this one on the weekend.

thanks retard, one of your best mate!

[--B--]

whipped this up on the weekend and was a huge hit

another brilliant recipe from the kitchen of retard

[RETARD]

yay

well done mate.
Glad every enjoyed themselves

Originally Posted by --B--

whipped this up on the weekend and was a huge hit

another brilliant recipe from the kitchen of retard

[Lespom]

Originally Posted by RETARD

Lespom
at first i read this as you got laid by your mates i was thinking it must of been an awesome meal!
The main thing is you cooked something that was enjoyed by all.
What more can your guests ask for?
Well done

Unfortunately waylaid was one word not two..... A bit like the bloke who asked the girl how often she liked sex, she replied "infrequently" to which he replied "Is that one word or two?"