Perfection Takes Time — Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Cider Bacon Jam and Pickled Apples

After a dry brine, this pork cooks low and slow until caramelized and is served with sweet bacon cider jam and tart pickled apples.

America is all about fast. We want what we want, and we want it now. Instant results. Immediate gratification.

Social media updates. 5 minute abs. One pot meals that take 30 minutes or less.

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Now I’m not saying that’s all bad. I’m all about fast… especially when it comes to exercise and weeknight cooking.

But sometimes, I like to slow it down and savor moments. Life has a way of passing us by if we let it, so I’m trying to learn to put on the brakes here and there.

If I have a relaxing weekend day free, I’m going to be cooking up an extravagant meal for family or friends. Something a bit special, that takes some time and care to prepare. Because sometimes, perfection takes time. Sometimes… slower is better :)

Exhibit A? This Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Cider Bacon Jam and Pickled Apples.

Because, hello, it’s freaking out of this world good. Seriously guys.

Let’s talk about this pork belly. After a little dry brine action, it gets all hot and caramelized in the oven at a high temperature. Then, it’s all about low and slow… roasting it to melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Man it’s good.

The bacon cider jam is sweet porky goodness. I want to schmear that stuff on anything and everything. You better believe it’ll be hanging out with some eggs in the morning come breakfast time.

And the pickled apples? It gives some great tart acidity, which totally helps cut through the richness of all that pork on pork action.

Ohhhhh yea.

Not a fan of pork belly? Don’t worry… you can totally substitute in some high-quality pork chops instead. Go for your favorite method of cooking, but I’m all about my sous vide immersion circulator right now. In case you want to give it a try, here’s what I did…

• Season bone-in pork chops (at least 1″ thickness) with salt and pepper.
• Seal individually in vacuum bags with a pat of butter in each.
• Cook at 140°F for 2 hours.
• Remove bags from water, let cool, and refrigerate until ready to eat (can be refrigerated for several days sealed in the bags).
• Open bags and pat the pork chops dry.
• Heat a bit of oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Sear pork chops on all sides until golden brown.

The pork chops come out ridiculously moist and tender, and the great thing about sous vide cooking is that you can cook it to the precise temperature you want… every time!

You know what else takes time? FIJI Water. It’s not your average lame bottled water. It starts as rain from clouds high above the island of FIJI. Then it slowly trickles down through layers of volcanic rock and gathers up minerals and electrolytes that creates FIJI’s signature soft smooth taste.

FIJI water rocks. And so does this Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Bacon Cider Jam and Pickled Apples.

The end.

This post is part of “Perfection Takes Time”, a partnership between Honest Cooking and FIJI Water

Perfection Takes Time — Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Cider Bacon Jam and Pickled Apples

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• Author: Honest Cooking
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

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Description

On occasion, special meals take time. And this Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Cider Bacon Jam and Pickled Apple is pretty darn special.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

FOR THE PORK BELLY
4 pounds skinless, boneless pork belly
1/3 cup Kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter or oil
FOR THE BACON-CIDER JAM
1 (16-ounce) package bacon
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1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt
FOR THE PICKLED APPLES
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into a very fine dice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Pinch whole black peppercorns
Pinch whole coriander seeds

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Instructions

FOR THE PORK BELLY

1. Place pork belly, fat side up, in small roasting pan or pyrex glass baking dish. Combine sugar and salt in a small bowl and rub all over pork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
2. Heat oven to 450°F. Rinse off pork belly and pat dry with paper towels. Discard any liquid that has accumulated in the roasting pan. Transfer pork in pan to oven and cook for about 1 hour, basting it with the rendered fat halfway through, until it’s golden brown.
3. Reduce heat to 250°F and cook until the pork is tender, about 1 hour. Transfer pork to a plate and let cool. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until it thoroughly chilled. You can skip this step if needed, but it’s the only way to get neatly trimmed slices. Remove pork from refrigerator and slice into 1/2?-1? slices. Heat 1 tablespoon butter or oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat and sear pork belly on both sides until golden brown.

FOR THE BACON-CIDER JAM

1. Cook bacon in a heavy-bottom skillet or dutch oven over medium heat until golden brown and crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Once cool, crumble bacon. Reserve 2 tabespoons of bacon drippings in dutch oven and discard the rest.
2. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add brown sugar, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and season with Kosher salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and then reduce heat to low. Add bacon and simmer until onions are very soft and the mixture has thickened to the consistency of jam. If too dry, add apple cider, 1/4 cup at a time (I added 1/4 cup total). You want the onions to be meltingly soft and the mixture to be thick and syrupy.
3. Let cool and then pulse in food processor or with immersion blender to desired consistency. This will make much more than you need for one dinner. Store in a refrigerator for several days or freeze. Serve it with any meats, as an appetizer, or with eggs at breakfast!

FOR THE PICKLED APPLES

1. Combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and coriander seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar and salt are fully dissolved. Let cool completely, then pour over apples. Let infuse for at least 2 hours at room temperature or 1 day in the refrigerator.

• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Slow Roasting
• Cuisine: American