Keeping Warm with Pork Belly !!!

After a brisk snowshoe through the forest, Lynn warmed us up with her delicious Morning Glory muffins and coffee.  Yum!

Sunshine is the perfect tonic against the cold temperatures

February has officially been declared the coldest month on record here in South-Western Ontario! Nonetheless, we have managed to enjoy it by embracing the winter weather and spending as much time as possible in the great outdoors-snowshoeing,skiing, shovelling .....   In addition, the requirements of being responsible dog owners include giving them lots of exercise and the opportunity to play in the fresh air - well, Wally and Baldur are certainly thankful to us for their daily walks on the golf course!!

But honestly, there is nothing like comfort food to warm your insides during these long stretches of frigid weather. Pork belly is an iconic comfort food. This recipe looks lengthy, but believe us, it is worth the effort!  We clearly outline the basic steps for low and slow grilling of pork belly. The results are melt-in-the-mouth delicious!!

This pork belly can be prepared on the barbecue, using a heavy pot, such as a dutch oven.

Sticky Glazed Pork Belly and Scallops in Savoury Broth

Pork belly:

2 lb pork belly, piece with skin removed

For the rub:

½ tsp black peppercorns

1 star anise

1 tsp chinese 5-spice

½ tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

For the braising liquid:

1 head garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

½ fennel bulb, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leafs

1 ½ cups dry white wine

6 cups chicken stock

Oil for basting

For the glaze:

4 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

¼ cup mirin(or sweet white wine)

Scallops

2 lbs scallops

 For the marinade:

2 tbsp ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

2 tbsp canola oil

1/2  cup white wine

2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

Garnish:

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

For the Pork Belly:

Preheat the barbecue and set it to cook at 300°F.  Coarsely grind the peppercorns, star anise and fennel seeds together with the cinnamon and Chinese 5-spice in a coffee grinder. Toast over low heat for about 1 minute, then rub this spice mixture over the surface of the pork belly.

Using either the barbecue, or  in a heavy dutch oven on the stove top, sear the pork well on both sides.  Remove from heat.  Heat 2 tbsp of canola oil in the dutch oven and add the garlic, ginger, carrots, celery, onion, fennel, thyme and bay leaves. Cook slowly until the vegetables are tender. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the pork belly and the chicken stock to the dutch oven, cover and place in the closed barbecue or oven for 2 hours.  

Remove from the barbecue or oven and take the pork from the vegetable mixture. Reserve the liquid and vegetables in a large measuring cup. Place in the refrigerator to cool and allow the fat to solidify. Skim fat off the top and discard. Place reserved broth in the refrigerator.

Pressing the pork belly under a heavy cast iron pot 

Place the pork belly between 2 rimmed baking trays and place a heavy object on top of this stack to weigh it down.  Put it in a cold place for at least 3 hours ( we put it outside, with a heavy cast iron pot on top). This will compress the pork belly, so that the layers of fat and meat meld together and the pork belly piece becomes uniform , making it easy to portion it into 16 smaller chunks. It is now ready to finish on the grill with the glaze.

Pressed pork belly is ready to be cut into portions

For glazing:

Combine the brown sugar, soy sauces and mirin in a medium saucepan or bowl. Set the grill to cook on MEDIUM. Toss the pork belly chunks with the glaze and place on the grids. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side. Brush liberally with glaze. Meanwhile, remove the broth and vegetables from the refrigerator and heat it up.

For the Scallops: 

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. 

Gently saute the ginger, garlic and shallots in canola oil in a large saute pan, for 2-3 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the white wine, reduce by half.  Add the sweet chili sauce and lime juice. Cool this mixture and add scallops to marinate for 20 minutes.  Place the scallops on the grill, set at MEDIUM and grill for 2 minutes per side, brushing with the marinade as they cook. Be cautious not to over cook the scallops.

To serve:

Divide the scallops between 8 serving bowls.  Ladle the broth and vegetables over the scallops and place the glazed pork belly chunks on top. Garnish with basil and green onions.

Always happy to help with recipe development!