Slow Roast Pork Belly with Balsamic-Honey & Figs
Author: 
 
Ingredients
The Brine
  • 3 tablespoons Honey
  • 2 sprigs Rosemary
  • 1 sprig Thyme
  • 6 Bay Leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely grounded Black Pepper
  • 1 litre Water
  • 50g Salt
The Pork Belly
  • 800g to 1 kg Pork Belly (Skin removed - optional)
The Broth
  • 500 ml Beef Broth (or enough to cover ¾ of the pork belly)
  • 2 sprigs Thyme
Balsamic-Honey Figs
  • 9 pieces figs
  • 120ml Wine
  • 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar (thicken version)
  • ½ tablespoon Honey (1 tablespoon honey if use the liquid version of balsamic vinegar)
Garnishes
  • Baby Spinach
  • Red Radish
  • Cherry Tomatoes
Instructions
The Brine
  1. Add all the ingredients for the brine into a saucepot and bring to boil.
  2. Remove from the fire and allow it to cool before use
Brine the Pork Belly
  1. Add the washed pork belly into the cooled brine and chill for 8 to 10 hours.
  2. No more than 10 hours
Slow Roasting the Pork Belly
  1. Preheat the oven temperature to 160 degree Celsius
  2. Remove the pork belly from the brine, pat dry and cut into individual portion (or roast it as a whole)
  3. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat (if using a dutch-oven for slow roasting, use the dutch oven to pan fry the pork belly instead of using a separate pan)
  4. Slowly place the pork belly - skin side down, into the pan and sear until the skin-side become golden brown
  5. Add in the beef broth and thyme
  6. Bring it to boil and transfer the pork belly (skin side down) and broth into a oven-proof casserole {omit this step if using dutch-oven/ cast iron pot/ oven proof pot; just transfer the whole pot into the oven}
  7. Cover with lid or aluminium foil. Do not fully cover the lid, allow a small opening for the evaporation. If using aluminium foil, poke open a hole on the foil after covering the casserole/pot
  8. Roast for 2.5 hours
  9. After 2.5 hours, flip the pork belly with skin-side up and roast for another 1 hour. Add more beef broth if necessary. Cover back the lid/ aluminium foil
  10. After 1 hour, remove the lid/ aluminium foil and continue to roast for 15 mins.
  11. Remove the pot of belly from the oven
Balsamic-honey Figs (prepare while the pork belly is at the last 15 minutes of roasting)
  1. Add the figs, balsamic, honey and wine into a saucepot and bring to boil
  2. Lower the heat to simmer and allow it to simmer for 15 mins (cover with lid)
  3. Transfer the figs to the serving plate
  4. Increase the heat to medium high and reduce the liquid until slightly thicken
  5. Set aside for assembling the dish
Assembling the Pork Belly
  1. Transfer the pork belly over to the serving plates.
  2. Serve with balsamic-honey braised figs and drizzle over the balsamic reduction
  3. Garnish with leaves of baby spinach, sliced radishes and tomatoes
Recipe by eckitchensg at http://eckitchensg.com/2016/06/slow-roast-pork-belly-balsamico-honey-figs/