Food requests are AWESOME!!!…Kinda.
I love hearing from you guys, it gives me a sense of sanity. I mean, if no one responded then I am basically just talking to myself and I don’t think my fragile little soul can handle that level of loneliness. So thank you guys for all the love!
Now comes the bad part. After I asked what you guys wanted, I got a much larger response than expected. Unfortunately, I am unable to reasonably make everything. I did, however, try my my best to fulfill as many as possible this week. The Steakhouse Blue Cheese Burger met two requests, the Thai Carnitas also met two, and this Crispy Cuban Pork Belly recipe is a mashup of four.
Requests were…
Jordan: “Something with a reduction…”
Bert Houwen: “Something with mango and pork belly (crispy!)”
Maria Soler: “A Cuban Asian Fusion with my 3 favorite ingredients, avocado, black beans and pork.”
Christine Irving: “A type of pork with anything that includes habaneros!”
Ok, so this dish isn’t exactly Asian but close enough…right?
You guys have been testing my patience. The Thai Carnitas request took 8 hours, this one took 24 hours (that’s approximately 281.29 years in Fiya time). Allow me to walk you through the process.
You place the scored pork belly in a garlicky onion stock for 2 hours…and wait
Take it out and allow it to come to room temp…and wait
Begin reducing the remaining stock in half…and wait
Start the mango habanero reduction sauce…and wait
Press the pork and throw it in the fridge…and yeah, you guessed it! Wait!
Haha, since we are on the topic…I waited 3 days before the avocados were ripe. (x.X)
You know what though? That saying, “Good thing comes to those that wait” is evident here. This Cuban Pork Belly was sooo moist and as you can tell from the pictures…incredibly crunchy! The black beans were pan fried with the rendered pork fat then pureed with the stock reduction to give you the most porkiest “refried beans” ever (yes, porkiest is a word). Now, we have to talk about that Mango Habanero Reduction. The mangoes and habanero peppers were slowly simmered until they fell apart, then blended to the vibrant yellow sauce to see before you. The perfect balance of sweet and spicy! As for the cilantro and avocado…well…they are just there to make the dish look pretty.
This was such a wonderful experience and I’m not just talking about this dish. I really appreciate all those who took the time to speak to me. I hope I have made something worthy of your expectations. If you have any requests then feel free to let me know!!
- 2 lb Pork Belly
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Grounded Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- Smoked Paprika
- 1 large Onion Sliced thick
- 1 bulb Garlic
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 2 cup Pork Stock Preferably low sodium.
- Fresh Lime Juice From 1 lime
- 1 tbsp Reserved fat from above
- 1 cup Reserved stock from above
- 1 15.5oz can Cooked Black Beans
- Habanero Mango sauce See notes for link
- Mango Diced
- Cilantro
- Smoked Paprika
- Avocado Sliced
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Place onion, garlic, pork stock, fresh lime juice and bay leaves (not shown in the pic) in a roasting tray.
- Score the pork belly, rub with olive oil, a generous coat of smoked paprika, 1tsp of dried oregano, 1 tsp of salt and pepper.
- Place the pork belly on top of the stock, tightly cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.
- After two hours, remove the pork belly from the stock and allow it to cool to room temp. Reserve some fat that has risen to the top. Cover and place in the fridge.
- Place the roasting tray over medium heat and reduce by half (10-15 minutes). Strain the stock, allow it to cool, cover, then place it in the fridge.
- When the pork belly has dropped to room temp., Wrap it in plastic wrap and using a flat surface, weight it down. Place the pork belly in the fridge for 6 to 24 hours.
- Over medium heat, melt the reserved fat. Add the drained beans and cook for 1 minutes.
- Add in a cup of the reserved pork stock and simmer until you have 1/3 stock left.
- Throw the beans and liquid into a food processor and blend. Check for seasoning. See notes.
- Preheat your broiler (500F).
- Remove the pork belly from the plastic and cut into equal portions. Lightly salt the top.
- On a baking sheet lined with aluminum, broil on the rack closest to your broiler for 7-9 minutes.
- Allow the pork belly to rest for 5 minutes, then cut into equal pieces (optional).
- Plate up!
When blending hot food, make sure you have an opening for the steam. A rather big mess will happen if you don't.
Add in 1 tbsp of warm stock if you want a smoother puree.
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