Recipe of the Week
November 22, 2008

Miso- and Orange-Roasted Pork BellY
From Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan
Serves 6

Once I started cooking pork belly I couldn’t stop, because it is so delicious and so simple to prepare. The layers of fat in a good piece of belly outweigh the meat layers, and sometimes I have to convince my friends to eat the fat! Once they try it, though, they realize just how flavorful it is, and they are hooked like me. This recipe was born from a desire to use up ingredients that were lingering in my refrigerator. I discover some of my best recipes this way. I serve this dish with roasted squash and steamed bok choy.

3 pounds / 1.4 kg boneless pork belly, skin removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups / 750 ml water
¼ cup / 60 ml red miso
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon peeled, finely grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large orange
½ cup / 125 ml dry sherry

Preheat the oven to 425F°/220°C

Pat the pork dry and, using a utility (Stanley) knife or box cutter, score the fat without cutting the meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up. Add 2 cups / 500 ml of the water and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the miso, honey, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Finely grate the orange zest and add to the miso mixture. Squeeze the orange to obtain ½ cup / 125 ml of juice, and set aside.

Remove the pork from the oven and lower the temperature to 325°F / 160°C. Brush the pork fat with half of the miso mixture, add the remaining 1 cup / 250 ml water to the roasting pan, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Brush the pork with the remaining miso mixture and continue to cook, making sure that there is always some liquid in the bottom of the pan and basing occasionally. Roast until the juices run clear or a kitchen thermometer inserted into the meat registers 160°F / 71°C, about 2 hours.

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