Seared Pork Belly

Ingredients: 

• Pork belly (skin off)

• My favorite spices: 
  Garlic cloves 
  Basil Seasoning
  Italian Seasoning 
  Bacon Salt
  3/4 Cup Olive oil
  Sweet Apple White Wine (from McClure's Orchard, Peru, IN)
  

My inspiration to start offering this wonderful cut of pork originates from Gordon Ramsey’s Slow-Roasted Pork Belly video that I watched over 5 years ago. Last Sunday I finally gave this recipe a test to see if it lived up to my high expectations of rich flavor and melt in your mouth tenderness. This ended up being a group effort as I recruited the help of my oldest son Bryton who pretty much did all the preparation from start to finish which left my main job as the camera man. 

Preparation notes:

1. Allowed 24 hours for pork belly to thaw
2. Cut 1/4” scores into the skin side of the belly with a sharp knife (crossing both directions to make diamond pattern that resembles the classic grill marks)
3. Rubbed salt and seasonings on all sides of the pork belly. We were sure to bend the pork belly skin side out so that we could rub all the seasonings deep into the score marks
4. Heat olive oil in cast iron pan until the oil was hot enough to sizzle 
5. Place pork belly skin side down into the pan for 1-2 minutes to form a crispy sear on top. 
6. Flipp pork belly skin side up, seared for 1 minute
7. Turn burner down to low and then added enough white wine to cover 3/4 of the pork belly allowing the top to still be exposed.
8. Turn heat up allowing white to simmer at a low boil for 2-3 minutes
9. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
10. Roasted pork belly in the oven using the same cast-iron pan for 2.5 hours (be sure you bring liquids in the pan back to a boil before placing in the oven. )
11. Use a meat thermometer to make sure pork belly reaches 170 degrees 
12. Turn oven to broil for 5 minutes to add a final charred crisp to the top of your pork belly  
13. Cut into 1/2 slices and serve with vegetables or favorite pasta dish. 

Conclusion: It’s not always the case that a recipe lives up to your highest expectations however this cut and recipe delivered one of the best Sunday dinner experiences we’ve had in a long time! Not only was this cut fun and simple to prepare but it was also a bonus that every single family member including my 3 year old daughter Lilly ate every last bite. This will definitely be a family favorite. This cut boasts both melt in your mouth tenderness and rich robust flavors from the generous healthy fats that our pasture-raised heritage pork provides.