Pork Belly with Blackberry Sauce

This post should be titled "How to Make Thom Love Me Forever" since pork belly, whether smoked as bacon or slow roasted until it's practically butter, is definitely in his top ten all-time loves of his life. I am pretty sure I hold the number one spot but it never hurts to hedge your bets, even in a marriage. This pork belly is also a marriage - of two fabulous restaurant experiences.

Last summer for my birthday my Dad took Thom and me to Gaslight for dinner. It was a beautiful August evening and we sat outside on the patio enjoying fabulous wine, food, and conversation. Well, Dad and I enjoyed conversation. Thom was too enraptured with his succulent, golden, slow roasted pork belly to do much more than moan quietly to himself. I'm pretty sure I saw a single tear escape down the side of his face when the waiter took away the empty plate.

My scrape-the-plate-clean moment is fulfilled in the blackberry sauce. I'm one of those people who practically drinks vinegar. I love that sharp, sweet, mouth-watering tang. When I go out for tapas one of my favorite dishes is quail or duck with blackberry sauce. The blackberries are cooked down with raspberry vinegar and sugar resulting in a sweet and fruity sauce laced with the sharp tang of vinegar that just permeates the rich meat. If it worked that well with duck, I figured it would be amazing with pork.

And it was.

Pork Belly with Blackberry Sauce
1/2lb pork belly
1 cup blackberries
2/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

quick brine
4 cups water
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 225º F. Combine brine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Score the skin side of the pork belly. Once brine is boiling drop in the pork belly and let cook 7 minutes. Remove, place in a roasting pan, cover with foil and roast 3 hours.

Yes, three hours.

Meanwhile cook the berries with the vinegar and sugar. Crush the berries with a spoon and cook until berries basically dissolve. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.

Once the pork is finished you can either turn the heat up to about 450º F to sear all sides, you can throw it on a grill, or you can sear the pork in a frying pan. Be careful because the fat will pop and splatter. In the last minute of cooking baste with the sauce, reserving most for the serving plate. Serve the pork belly immediately, covered in sauce. Get lots of kisses from husband.

Wayne's World style extreme pork belly close-up. WOAH!!!

Enjoy!