Pork. Belly.

My eyes were opened to pork belly when I was working on a farm in Italy. I have never tasted anything more satisfying in my life and now any time I see pork belly on a menu at a restaurant, I have to order it.  Pork belly is the cut of meat that you get bacon from and has the most delicious layer of fat on top of tender meat.  The balance of the melt in your mouth fat that is also crispy on top combined with the flavorful meat is unlike anything else.  I've wanted to make my own pork belly for a while now, and finally did it this week.  We got a beautiful cut of meat from Sand Farm and found a recipe by Dan Barber that takes 3 days to complete. 

You start by making make a cure mix of spices that you rub into the meat and then let it sit in the fridge for 3 days.  Then, you rinse of the mix and roast it for 7 hours at 200 degrees.  The lengthy roasting is the key to the success of this dish because it allows the meat to slowly cook and become pull-apart tender.

After 7 hours, sear the pork belly on both sides that gives the meat that crispiness that makes every satisfying bite even more delicious. I highly suggest making this dish if you have the patience!

 Freshly ground spices in a mortar and pestle made by Seth.

The belly.

The belly with the cure mix ready for the fridge. 

Finished product with a side of roasted delicata squash with rosemary and rice.