recipes

Allow plenty of time - this recipe takes over a day and a half!

9lb pork belly, skin-on, washed and dried
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 T fresh ground pepper
2 T ground allspice
2 T maple syrup
2 T soy sauce
1 T brown sugar

1. Combine salt, sugar, pepper & allspice.
2. Rub pork belly with spice mixture; place skin side down in glass casserole just big enough to fit. Cover.
3. Let pork belly cure in refrigerator for a minimum of 24hrs.
4. When ready to cook, rinse cured pork belly under cool water, dry completely.
5. With sharp knife cut a cross-hatch pattern of slits just through skin (not to the flesh) every inch or so.
6. Place pork in a closely-sized roasting pan & cover tightly with foil to prevent browning.
7. Slow-roast at 275F for 4 hours.
8. Combine maple syrup, soy sauce, & brown sugar; use this to baste pork belly every hour until done: flesh should be very tender and darkly glazed.
9. Remove from oven and let cool in pan to room temperature, then refrigerate. The pork belly will be easier to slice once it has cooled.
10. At service: cut pork belly into 2" square pieces; sear on all sides in a very hot pan until just caramelized.
11. Place in a 425F oven for 5 minutes until browned and heated through.
12. Serve with creamy corn grits and drizzled with maple syrup.