Lynn Crawford
You saw her show, now eat her book,
THE BOOK: We know Lynn Crawford as the chef/owner of Toronto’s Ruby Watchco restaurant and Ruby Eats food shop. She’s also the road-tripping star of the Food Network show Pitchin’ In as she travels across North America working with — and then cooking for — farmers, ranchers, growers and fishing folks. Now the show’s fans can eat what they see with Lynn Crawford’s Pitchin’ In: More Than 100 Great Recipes From Simple Ingredients ($37). THE QUOTE: “I hope reading this book will inspire you to explore, get to know where your food comes from, and be hands-on with your food. I encourage you to meet the producers at your local farmers’ market and get out to some u-picks in the country. Get dirty if you have to. These valuable experiences will make you a better cook, and you’ll be giving back to the hard-working farmers, growers, and fishermen who give us these amazing products. It’s about appreciation — on both sides.” THE RECIPE: Crawford lavishes her chefly love on an inexpensive, underappreciated cut in this adapted recipe. You’ll find pork belly at butchers and Asian supermarkets. Pork belly is extremely fatty and rich, so servings should be small. If you like, serve this with mashed potatoes because there is lots of sauce.
Apple Cider Pork Belly
3 Star Tested
1 tbsp (15 ml) each: coriander seeds, fennel seeds
2 tsp (10 ml) pink or black
peppercorns 1/2 tsp (2 ml) cumin seeds 1 whole clove 2 tbsp (30 ml) coarse kosher salt 1 tsp (5 ml) ground allspice Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme,
chopped
Leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary,
chopped 2-lb (1-kg) piece pork belly 4 apples (preferably Gala), peeled, thickly sliced
2 yellow onions, halved, thickly sliced 1 cup (250 ml) each: chicken stock,
apple cider
1/2 cup (125 ml) pure maple syrup In small skillet over medium, toast coriander, fennel, peppercorns, cumin and clove until fragrant, about three minutes. In coffee grinder reserved for spices, grind. Place in small bowl. Stir in salt, allspice, thyme and rosemary. Score pork skin with sharp knife. Rub all over with spice blend, getting seasonings into cracks. In roasting pan, scatter apples and onions. Add pork, skin side up. Pour stock, cider and maple syrup into pan. Cover tightly with foil or lid. Roast in preheated 425F (220C) oven 1 hour. Reduce heat to 350F (180C). Remove foil. Cook until juices run clear when meat is pierced with fork, about one hour. Transfer pork belly to cut- ting board. Carve into 8 slices or as desired.
Transfer apples, onions and cooking liquid to blender or food processor. Purée until smooth. If desired, pass through fine-mesh strainer into serving bowl, discarding solids. Serve apple sauce alongside pork. Makes 8 servings. Star-tested by Jennifer Bain jbain@thestar.ca Pork belly is an inexpensive cut. I buy mine at Asian supermarkets like T&T.