Maple Bourbon Pork Belly
RECIPE This is from chef Reuben Major of Belgard Kitchen. And yes, I checked, it IS one pound of butter in the sauce, but there will be lots left for other uses. Chef Major likes it over ice cream! In this dish, he showcases the house bacon, which is a hit at Belgard brunches.
4 tbsp (60 mL) canola oil 4 lb (1.8 kg) pork belly, fat side scored 1 white onion, ½ inch (1 cm) dice 4 stalks celery, ½ inch (1 cm) half moons 1 large carrot, peeled, ½ inch (1 cm) ice 2 cups (500 mL) brown sugar 2 cups (500 mL) maple syrup 13 oz (370 g) Jack Daniels 10 sprigs thyme, fresh 1 tbsp (15 mL) black peppercorns 3 bay leaves Vegetable stock, to cover (1 to 2 quarts/litres) 1 lb (454 g) butter, cold, cubed
Preheat oven to 250 F. In a wide-bottomed pot, bring the canola oil to the rippling point over medium high heat. Place the pork belly, fat side down in the hot oil and sear until the fat is light golden brown. Remove the pork belly and set aside.
Pour off most of the fat, leaving just enough to coat the vegetables. Add the onion, celery and carrots to the pot and cook, stirring regularly until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the sugar and maple syrup and continue cooking until the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, add Jack Daniels. The liquid will begin to bubble. Cook until the bubbles subside.
Place the seared pork belly, fat side up, into the liquid. Add thyme, peppercorns and bay leaves to vegetable stock and pour over meat until covered; wrap tightly with tin foil. Place into a preheated oven and braise overnight for approximately 8 hours. Remove from the oven, and transfer pork belly to a baking pan and place in the fridge.
Strain the solids and reserve the braising liquid. Return the braising liquid to the pot and cook over medium heat to reduce by half. Whisk the cold butter into the reduced liquid, one or two cubes at a time, creating a caramel. Put aside until ready to use.
To serve, slice the cold pork belly into ¼-inch (6-mm) slabs. Add one layer of sliced pork belly to a frying pan over medium to high heat, and cook until crisp and golden brown. Flip and continue on the other side. Once cooked, strain off all the fat. Reduce the heat to medium and cover with a few spoonfuls of caramel. Cook in the caramel until it begins to cling to the bacon and become slightly sticky. Serve and enjoy!
Makes 8 to 10 servings