Filipino Style Roast Pork Belly With Chile Vinegar Recipes

FILIPINO-STYLE ROAST PORK BELLY WITH CHILE VINEGAR

Steps:

• Season pork generously with salt. Set, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Chill at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour 4 cups water into baking sheet with pork. Rub pork skin with oil; season with more salt. Roast, adding more water to pan as needed, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 195°F-200°F, 1 1/2-1 3/4 hours.
• Meanwhile, pour out 1/2 cup vinegar from bottle (save for another use). Remove pouring spout from bottle and add garlic, chiles, and a large pinch of salt. Cover and shake to distribute; let sit until ready to serve. (Or, combine in a glass jar or bowl).
• Bring hard cider and honey to a boil in a large saucepan; cook until thickened and very syrupy, 30-45 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Continue to roast pork until skin is browned and puffed, 15-20 minutes (add a few more splashes of water to baking sheet if juices are scorching). Transfer rack with pork to a cutting board; let rest 20 minutes.
• Pour off fat from baking sheet and add 1/2 cup water, scraping up browned bits. Return baking sheet to oven for a few minutes if needed to help loosen browned bits. Stir into reduced cider mixture.
• Remove skin from pork, using the tip of a knife to get it started (it should come off in 1 large piece with a little help). Slice pork lengthwise into 2"-wide strips, then crosswise into 1/2"-thick pieces. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with reduced cider mixture. Break skin into large pieces and arrange on top; place a few chiles from vinegar around. Serve with chile vinegar.
• Do Ahead
• Chile vinegar can be made 1 week ahead. Store at room temperature.

ROASTED PORK BELLY (LECHON LIEMPO)

Steps:

• Start by rinsing the pork belly with lukewarm water.
• Next pat both sides of the pork belly with a paper towels or a clean cloth to remove all the water.
• Using a paring knife or a fork, poke the skin of the meat to ensure a nice crackling.
• Lay the pork belly on a flat surface with the skin facing down.
• Rub the top side of the pork belly with the garlic powder, ground chili flakes, salt and pepper.
• Set the pork belly in the refrigerator for 1 hour to cure while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Combine the soy sauce and cooking oil in a small mixing bowl then whisk until it is well blended to make the basting sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Lift one side of the pork belly then position 3-4 pieces of bakers twine along the length of the pork with each piece being the same distance apart then lay that side of the pork back down on top of the twine.
• Do the same with the other side of the pork belly and the remaining twine.
• Now place the lemongrass stalks in the middle of the pork belly with half of the stalks pointing in one direction and the other half pointing in the other direction. This is so the oils from the lemongrass stalks will be evenly distributed along the whole length of the pork belly.
• Now place the chopped garlic, onions, ginger, and chives along the middle of the pork belly, next to the lemongrass stalks.
• Start at one end of the pork belly by carefully folding both sides of the meat around the lemongrass stalks and spices.
• While holding the meat together, have someone assist you by tightly tying the twine in a knot around the pork belly, creating a roll with the lemongrass and spices on the inside.
• Repeat the process down the length of the pork belly until all the twine has been tied. At this point the pork belly should look kind of like a sushi roll.
• Gently trim any pieces of the lemongrass that stick out from the meat.
• Place the pork belly in a roasting pan with the with the folded edge facing down.
• Brush the pork belly skin with the basting mixture then cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Place the roasting pan in the oven and let the pork belly roast for up to 5 hours, but no less than three and a half hours.
• Briefly remove the pork belly from the oven every 20 minutes to brush the outer skin of the pork belly with the basting sauce, then return it to the oven.
• After the pork belly has roasted for at least three and a half hours, remove it from the oven and discard the aluminum foil cover.
• Set the oven to broil and increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
• Baste the pork belly one last time before putting it back in the oven.
• Put the pork belly back into the oven and let it continue to roast until the skin becomes reddish in color and the skin should be crisp to the touch.
• Check the pork belly frequently. If the skin closest to the heating element begins to bubble up, turn the pork belly over to another side.
• Once all the skin is crisp, remove the pork belly from the oven.
• Let the pork belly rest for 10 to 15 minutes before trying to handle it.
• Cut the roasted pork belly into the serving pieces you want and serve with your choice of dipping sauce.