Recipes

Beer-Braised Pork Belly

  • Serves

    serves 8

PENNY DE LOS SANTOS

Arugula, pears, and pork belly braised in creamy farmhouse ale come together in a spicy salad adapted from one by Cosmo Goss of the Publican restaurants in Chicago. It first appeared in our December 2013 issue along with Betsy Andrews' article Beer Belly.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. boneless, skinless pork belly
  • 1 tbsp. crushed red chile flakes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 cup olive oil
  • 16 oz. Ommegang Hennepin beer
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 12 cup sherry vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 pickled Calabrian or hot cherry peppers, seeded
  • 2 pears, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups baby arugula

Instructions

Step 1

Rub pork with chile flakes, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet; chill 2 hours.

Step 2

Heat oven to 325°. Heat 1⁄4 cup oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pat pork dry with paper towels; cook until browned, 10–12 minutes. Add beer; cook until reduced by half, 4–5 minutes. Add stock; boil. Bake, covered, until pork is tender, 1–1 1⁄2 hours. Let pork cool; cut into 2" pieces.

Step 3

Purée 1⁄2 cup pan drippings, plus vinegar, syrup, peppers, and salt in a blender.

Step 4

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pears until golden, 4–6 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add remaining oil and pork to skillet, and cook until brown and slightly crisp, 5–7 minutes. Add vinegar mixture; cook until sauce is thick, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with pears and add arugula; toss to combine.

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