WITH OR WITHOUT DIRT:

Chefs love pork belly, oozing with flavor and texture (HSIAO-CHING CHOU, 2/21/07, Seattle P-I)

"It's such an amazing textural experience," said Maria Hines, chef and owner of Tilth restaurant. "You have a nice layer of meat, a nice layer of fat, another nice layer of meat, another nice layer of fat, and when you cook it properly, you have a thin crispy layer on top that's crackly when you bite down into it -- which you should never do in less than three seconds."

Daniel Newell, chef de cuisine at Restaurant Zoe, likes pork belly for "its rich, juicy loveliness."

Thierry Rautureau, owner/chef at Rover's, considers pork belly his "favorite dessert" and enjoys the "feeling of flavor oozing in your mouth."

Boka chef Seis Kamimura can't get enough of the "full fat flavor" and the combination of textures.

Hines added: "You could probably roll it in dirt and it would still sell." [...]

TAMARIND-MARINATED PORK BELLY SKEWERS

SERVES 6 TO 8 AS AN APPETIZER

# 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (available in Asian markets)
# 2 teaspoons brown sugar
# 1 tablespoon Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam)
# 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
# 1 tablespoon minced shallot or green onions
# 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
# 1 pound pork belly, skin removed and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add the sliced pork belly to the marinade and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature.

Set up a gas or charcoal grill with a medium fire. Remove the pork from the marinade, thread on skewers to keep the slices from curling, and grill over medium coals for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Serve at once.

Note: If you can find sliced, raw bacon (unsmoked), you can use that instead of slicing your own.

Oh, glorious, flavorful pork: Kurobuta cuts, salumi, carnitas, crown roast: This really is the Year of the Pig. (Russ Parsons, February 21, 2007, LA Times)

THEY call me Pork Boy, and as far as I'm concerned, the Year of the Pig couldn't have come at a better time. At long last, after decades of abuse, my favorite meat is once again getting a little love.

I come by my nickname honestly. It's a rare week that goes by at my house when I don't fix pork in some form or another. In fact, I'll bet if you added it all up, I probably cook as much pork as I do all other meats combined.

No meat offers a cook more than pork does. Beef and lamb have force of personality; pork has depth and subtlety. It offers a variety of flavors and textures. You can roast it, stew it, grill it or fry it. It has been the foundation of cuisines as diverse as Mexican, Italian and Chinese. [...]

Cider-brined pork chops with wild rice [...]

Salt

3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1 cup apple cider

4 medium-thick pork chops (about 2 pounds)

1 1/2 cups wild rice

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup chopped dried apples

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds

1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Pepper

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water, 2 1/2 tablespoons salt, the peppercorns and cloves to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep until room temperature. Add the cider.

2. Place the pork chops in a sealable plastic bag and strain the brining mixture over it, discarding the peppercorns and cloves. Squeeze out any air; the brine should just cover the chops. Seal tightly and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

3. Combine the wild rice, 5 cups of water and three-fourths teaspoon salt in a large saucepan and cook uncovered over medium-high heat until the water has almost entirely evaporated and the rice is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain the rice and return to the pan. Add the shallot, cherries and apples. Cover the pan and let stand until the pork is ready.

4. Heat a grill pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chops from the marinade and pat dry thoroughly. When the pan is very hot, add the vegetable oil to the pan and add the chops. Sear on one side, about 2 minutes, then turn the chops over and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, covered, until the pork is lightly browned and firm, about 7 to 8 minutes and 132 to 135 degrees (the temperature will increase as it rests). It should still be slightly pink inside and moist. (If using a grill pan, you can use any metal pan lid that will cover the chops as you cook them; the objective is to keep them covered so they can steam as they grill and cook faster.)

5. When the pork is ready, season the rice to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the almonds and red wine vinegar. Spoon a mound of wild rice on each plate and tilt a pork chop against it. Serve immediately.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 21, 2007 8:47 AM