Pork belly

Got some in the fridge as I type. In the paste I braised it first, then finished it under the broiler, but this time I rubbed it with 5-spice and let it sit for a day, then roasted it at 320 for 2 hours, then finish it for 15 minutes at 400 to crisp it up. Love the stuff!

But... I also smoked 6 lbs of bacon yesterday (made with nitrates). Had the first of it for breakfast this morning and it came out verrrry good.
 
Hard to beat bacon you nurtured yourself.

I put pork belly sliders on the catering menu awhile back. Topped with a crunchy Asian slaw, it's become very popular.
 
Hard to beat bacon you nurtured yourself.

I put pork belly sliders on the catering menu awhile back. Topped with a crunchy Asian slaw, it's become very popular.
How do you prepare your pork belly? I've tried a number of ways, but so far have found the roasting to be the most successful. The internet has maybe 1,000 different recipes, and every one seem to have different methods. Some are skin-on, some skin-off, some are braised in various liquids, some are dry-rubbed or marinated and roasted. Some add course salt to blister the skin... many different methods.
 
I have tried all ways and always fall back to roasting. The pic above is sliced and fried in my favorite ci skillet. This was for the wife as she normally will not eat it.

Done right and it's hard to beat. I have been to several places where the presentation seems too oily for me. Let alone cleaning the plate.

Please tell me more about your smoke/curing set up for your bacon.

---------- Post added at 03:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:44 PM ----------

I do skin off as I don't like the skin and it causes the meat to twist no matter how you cook it.

Another method which makes for great taste and a small portion will look good on the plate.
Big cubes fried on each side and finished in a skillet Oven or grill to finish.
 
At serious risk to my reputation and mental health I admit ignorance to cuts of meats and their differences. I thought pork bellies and bacon were one and the same.
 
You guys take the belly and I’ll cover it’s back. Here we have sugar brine home cured pea-meal bacon with real pea-meal, not cornmeal, crust. I don’t do that Canadian style ham sold in the U.S. or even the Hormel sold in Canada. Northern Ontario can be thanked for pea-meal bacon.



Hilditch
 
Bacon (American bacon, or "streaky bacon" as it is called in Canada and the UK) is cured and smoked pork belly. (Canadian bacon is cured and smoked pork loin, and U.K. bacon is cured but not smoked pork belly.

---------- Post added at 05:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------

I have tried all ways and always fall back to roasting. The pic above is sliced and fried in my favorite ci skillet. This was for the wife as she normally will not eat it.

Done right and it's hard to beat. I have been to several places where the presentation seems too oily for me. Let alone cleaning the plate.

Please tell me more about your smoke/curing set up for your bacon.

---------- Post added at 03:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:44 PM ----------

I do skin off as I don't like the skin and it causes the meat to twist no matter how you cook it.

Another method which makes for great taste and a small portion will look good on the plate.
Big cubes fried on each side and finished in a skillet Oven or grill to finish.

I love it with the skin on, when perfectly prepared. I've had it that way twice in restaurants. The skin bubbled and crispy, while the inside melts in the mouth. They deal with the twisting by pressing and refrigerating after the first cook.

My bacon: I am using a cure recipe that I got from Ruhlman and Polcy's Charcuterie. I mixed up a goodly batch of it a couple of years ago and am still using that, so I don't remember the proportions (and I can't find the danged book! I think I (gasp!) loaned it to a friend!).

Dry-cured for 7 full days, rinsed, and dried to form a pellicle, then smoked slowly with apple wood chunks in my Weber Smokey Mountain for about 3 hours, to 150F.
 
"and U.K. bacon is cured but not smoked pork belly."

I thought U.K. bacon, rashers, was back bacon with just a piece of the belly attached that was salt cured but not smoked.

Hilditch
 
"and U.K. bacon is cured but not smoked pork belly."

I thought U.K. bacon, rashers, was back bacon with just a piece of the belly attached that was salt cured but not smoked.

Hilditch

Uh, that's a pretty fine detail, isn't it? OK, back with just a piece of the belly. Cured but not smoked.

---------- Post added at 08:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:03 PM ----------

All this talk about pork bellies made me decide to heat up another piece!

Image
 
Nice presentation. Add roasted root vegs and Brussels sprouts. A chunk of bread and wine of your choice.

Thanks! Already had dinner, so a full meal was out. Just an amuse bouche in my own living room, I guess. But it was good. Top wasn't as crispy as it would if it had skin-on *and* was done properly, but since I haven't yet figured that part out, it was as good as it gets in my house. Still crispy outside and melting inside.

I did try a smaller piece earlier with 1) some whole grain mustard with a bit more sherry vinegar added, and 2) with some rowanberry jelly that I made last year. The jelly was the better of the two sauces. But I used neither on that final piece and it was great.
 
Thanks! Already had dinner, so a full meal was out. Just an amuse bouche in my own living room, I guess. But it was good. Top wasn't as crispy as it would if it had skin-on *and* was done properly, but since I haven't yet figured that part out, it was as good as it gets in my house. Still crispy outside and melting inside.

I did try a smaller piece earlier with 1) some whole grain mustard with a bit more sherry vinegar added, and 2) with some rowanberry jelly that I made last year. The jelly was the better of the two sauces. But I used neither on that final piece and it was great.



Crisp up with a torch. I use mapp. Same torch I solder with.
 
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