OK LETS FIND A SOLUTION .....PIGGY TUMMY DONE RIGHT

So I ranted a bit and so did my partner in food crime(girl on the Vine). So now lets talk solutions and grow from mistakes rather than dwell. Good GOD Ive fucked up a thing or two in my 22 year career in the kitchen and only hope we all learn from mistakes and be better cooks for it. So here is a nice simple sexy recipe to fool proofing a PORK BELLY adventure. Dont fear the FAT embrace with balance and confidence. Perhaps some  APPROPRIATE stone fruit chutney to give it a bang WITH a ton of wine a ton of friends and a ton of good times. Dont forget we are all students at life. Its the collection of experiences and the lessons learned that makes us all who we are. good eating my friends ...Much love

4lb pork belly from your local butcher such as EL SALICHERO
2 tablespoons fennel seeds

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 bulbs of fennel, cut into sixths, herby tops removed and reserved
1/4 C brown sugar.

a small bunch of thyme, leaves removed

5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

olive oil

1 750 ml bottle of wine a good  white Burgundy would be lovely for pig and cook. Wink



Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature.



Using an extremely sharp knife, score the skin of the pork belly in deep vertical lines. Try to get them as close together as possible and as parallel as possible.



Crush the fennel seeds and 1 tablespoon of sea salt  and b sugar until you have a fine powder. Massage this powder into the skin.



In a roasting pan toss the fresh fennel, thyme, garlic, olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Place the pork belly (skin side up) on top.



Put the pan in the preheated oven. After 10 minutes turn the heat down to 325 degrees and roast the pork for a further hour.



After 1 hour at 325 degrees, remove the pan from the oven and drain off the fat and save for fryin up some taters.... Add the white wine and stir.



Put the pan back in the oven for another hour.



Remove the pan from the oven. Remove the fennel from the pan using a slotted spoon. Keep it warm.



Put the pork back into the oven for a further hour until the skin is golden and crisp. If the wine starts to evaporate during this time, add a splash more wine, or a splash of  stock.



Allow the pork to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
You know you've done good if the skin is crispy,carmalized and practically winking at you, the belly itself should be spreadable not meat jello. Save those pan drippings reduce by a third add a pat of (my raw milk sweet cream cultured) butter for a heavenly sauce to drizzle over this piggy delight. Fry up some fingerlings in the pork fat reserve . Pop open a bottle of Kabinett(needs the acid to balance) and break into some crusty bread and a dollup of Stone fruit Chutney....ohhh Sweet Cheesus we have a party in our mouth.

That my friends and countrymen is how you do Pork Belly ........mama loves you