It all started with my procuring of a 4 pound Lancaster pork belly, from my buddy the butcher. "Mmm" I thought, pork belly is second only to foie gras in my hierarchy of meats.
I found Ruhlman's recipe online, then set about making the cure, and placing the belly in a plastic bag for a week.
That was a sad week.
Each day I would open up the fridge to find the belly staring at me with puppy eyes, begging me to braise it and devour it right away. That week put me in touch with animal lovers across the world. I practiced composure and restraint until it was time to remove the belly.
I roasted, not smoked, the meat- smoking wasn't convenient at the time. Though bacon connoisseurs may scoff, I beg them to taste.
This bacon is much more than salty, fatty, heaven. The flavors of thyme, bay, and peppercorn, rarely detectable in bacon, harmonize to create ultra-flavorful, multi-dimensional meat, that is yes, salty, fatty, heaven as well.
I did not make all of the belly into bacon however. Half is dry-curing to become pancetta. Updates on that in the future!
ALERT: For the next few days, maybe even a week, my attention will be devoted to writing about my recent meal at Per Se.
Yes, I went back.
7 comments:
Come on don't eat unhealthy crap like this...there are so many delicious, challenging foods that are healthy. Not kosher!
Go half-way. Just don't drink milk with it. Happy Xmas - looking forward to reading about Per Se.
beneficient allah,
I think i must disagree with you and say that bacon is healthy for my soul.
thanks trig,
you as well
Don't listen to the first commenter. Fatty treats are only unhealthy if you eat them all the time instead of having them as treats.
This is irreverent, and maybe even blasphemous, but, pork and shellfish are only treif because they are so delicious that G-d wants them all for himself!
Oh, my goodness - that bacon!
Braised pork belly and foie gras - now that's a combination......
How did the pancetta turn out? Just found a recipe, must try it.
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