I make pork belly, maybe twice a year. It was all the rage a number of years ago and while it may not be trending now, it is still delicious.
Whether you keep the rind on to get that craveable pork crackling, or trim the rind and just go with the pork belly itself, it is a process and by today’s standards, both are totally unconventional dishes. Some might say way too much fat. I say, fat has a lot of flavor. Not every mouthful can be well balanced.
To stay with unconventional, this preparation uses a combination of the marinade from the souvlaki recipe I posted recently and a pork belly preparation I made not long ago.
The recipe for this variation on pork belly is outstanding. It will become the base preparation for all pork belly recipes I make going forward. The seasoning and the cooking method is perfect, albeit slow and low.
So, to what you must try.
My photo shows three whole slices of pork belly that I had left over from the Pork Belly Tacos that I had made earlier. I cut the three slices in half, and then in half again. I then transferred the slices to a non-stick small skillet over medium heat and allowed the pork to render its fat until each slice was nicely browned.
While the pork belly was browning, I cut 10-12 slices from a day-old demi-baguette and then I spooned a small amount of the souvlaki marinade over the top of each slice.
Next, I toasted the baguette under the broiler, with the marinade side up until the baguette was nicely toasted. I then topped each toasted baguette with a couple of slices of pork belly. Done!
I served the pork belly tartines with dill pickle spears.
This all started with a 1 pound piece of pork belly. It made two fabulous lunches. You could also serve these as small bites on a smaller slice of bread. Sometimes I get dinner rolls or pretzel rolls that are shaped like mini baguettes. These make a perfect one bite small bite with cocktails.
