Pork Bellied Poppers Recipes

CRISPY PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Season pork belly all over with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Wrap pork in parchment paper; wrap a second time in aluminum foil, and a third time in another sheet of aluminum foil. Place pork packet in a baking dish.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender for 6 hours. Let cool in wrappings to room temperature; place cooled packet in refrigerator and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
• Unwrap chilled meat. Save any rendered fat that falls away when unwrapping pork.
• Cut meat into 6 equal-size portions. Cut 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch slashes in the fat-side of the pork. Season with salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons reserved pork fat in a skillet over medium heat. Place pork belly, fat side down, in hot fat; cook until well-browned on all sides and heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork belly to a plate, drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.

JALAPENO PORK POPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
• Brown sausage and onion over medium-high heat. Drain fat. Pat sausage with paper towel to remove residual fat. In a metal bowl, combine sausage/onion mixture, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until completely combined. With a small spoon, fill jalapeno halves with sausage/cream cheese mixture. Place filled jalapeno halves on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and jalepenos appear to be slightly softened. This will take approximately 25-35 minutes. Eat immediately or store leftovers in refrigerator and warm up in microwave.

PORK-BELLIED POPPERS

Steps:

• Slice each jalapeno open lengthwise, then make a small crosswise cut at the stem end to form a T. Gently open the jalapenos and scrape out the seeds and membranes with a knife. Put the jalapenos, milk and 2 cups water in a large bowl and soak 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
• Meanwhile, mix the cheddar, cream cheese, pulled pork and chili powder in a bowl with your hands until combined. Drain the jalapenos and pat them dry. Stuff 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese filling into each pepper.
• Put the flour in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt in another dish. Put the breadcrumbs in a third dish. One at a time, hold the peppers by the stems and dredge in flour, then dip in the beaten eggs, letting the excess drip off, and roll in the breadcrumbs; dip in the eggs again and reroll in breadcrumbs. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate until the coating sets, about 20 minutes.
• Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 300 degrees F. Fry the jalapenos in batches, turning, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve with barbecue sauce.

SMOKED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients of the dry rub together in a small bowl using a fork or a whisk.
• Prep the pork by removing the skin (if it is still attached). Slice scores through the fat but not through the flesh with a very sharp knife to cross-hatch throughout the entire fat layer.
• Place the pork belly on a sheet pan and add a liberal amount of rub on the belly, rubbing it into all the crevices. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove the pork belly from the refrigerator at least an hour prior to smoking to bring it to room temperature.
• Bring the temperature of your smoker up to 225 F. Add your wood chips to start the smoke and place an aluminum drip pan with a few inches of water under the grates to catch drippings.
• Place the pork belly fat side up on the grates and smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, which will take 3 to 4 hours.
• Remove the pork belly from the smoker and let rest on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
• It can be sliced and eaten right away, or it can be chilled, sliced and crisped up on the grill or pan fried for a few minutes on each side.