Chile-Braised Pork Belly

Comfort Food, Rewarms Well, Great Leftovers

Pork belly has become the rage on restaurant menus all across the land. Our neighbors south of the border enjoy pork and particularly love chile-spiked meats that are slow-cooked and eaten wrapped in tortillas with plenty of rice, beans, and salsas. This tradition inspired my recipe.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 2- to 3-pound piece fresh pork belly, skinned
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro stems
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1½-2 dozen corn tortillas, warmed
• Cooked long-grain rice
• Cooked pinto beans
• Salsas, homemade or store-bought

ANCHO CHILE SPICE RUB:

• 2 dried ancho chiles, torn into pieces, seeds and stems discarded
• 1 cup boiling water, or more if needed
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or oregano (I use Mexican)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rub: Add the chile pieces to a small skillet and stir over medium heat until they start to crisp and become fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain,
   reserving the soaking liquid and the chiles separately.
2. Add the cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds to the same skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan, until the spices begin to color and become fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a spice grinder or a mortar with a pestle and grind into a powder. Place the softened chiles, ground spices, marjoram, cayenne, ¼ cup of the chile soaking liquid, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Remove 2 tablespoons and set aside.
3. Place the pork belly fat side up on a work surface and cut a crosshatch pattern about ¼ inch deep into the fat. Rub the spice rub all over the meat, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
5. Unwrap the belly, but don’t rub off the spices. Heat a large heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the belly, fat side down, and slowly brown, taking care not to burn the spices but to get them nice and brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip over the belly and brown the other side, 5 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.
6. Increase the heat to medium, add the onions, cover, and cook until soft, stirring from time to time, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and scallions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons spice paste and ½ cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cilantro stems, orange juice, white wine, and lime juice and bring to a boil.
7. Return the belly to the skillet, fat side up, and place in the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, basting the belly once or twice with the liquid. Make sure the liquid does not boil; if it does, reduce the temperature to 225°F. Turn over the belly and bake for 1 hour more, basting every 30 minutes. Add more wine or water if the liquid evaporates. Flip again so that the fat side is up and continue to cook until the belly is quite tender. It may take 3 to 4 hours total. Transfer the belly to a warm platter and loosely tent with aluminum foil.
8. Skim the fat from the liquid and boil on the stove top to reduce the sauce until just syrupy, about 5 minutes. Cut the belly into ½-inch-thick slices, then slice again into ½-inch-wide fingers, and return to the platter. Ladle the sauce over the slices and serve with the tortillas, rice, beans, and salsas.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Smoked slab bacon, roasted for 1½ to 2 hours, or until fork tender, and served using the glazed method (see Cook’s Notes).

COOK’S NOTES:

• You can also serve the belly glazed with the sauce. Once the sauce has reduced, heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set the belly on it, fat side up. Spoon over some of the sauce and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the meat is sizzling, nicely browned, and shiny. Cut the glazed belly into ¼- inch-thick slices or into the ½-inch-wide fingers. You can also refrigerate the belly and sauce and then glaze a day or two later, when ready to serve.
• Another great way to serve cooked belly is to cut it into ½-×-2-inch pieces, skewer, and grill, brushing it with the sauce.