This is one of the many courses I enjoyed last month at the Raul Perez wine dinner at Mediterra. I read so much about pork belly, but never seem to find it on local menus. So I (along with about 45 other people) was very happy to see it in front of me that evening, and it was scrumptious. Very, very scrumptious. I actually think it got a more enthusiastic reception than a big ol’ piece of chocolate cake would have.
It was served with roasted pineapple (to the right), and a whole baby lettuce (slightly braised or steamed) to the left. The pork was perfect, crispy fat on top, the meat underneath meltingly tender and juicy.
Now I’ve been to the Amish market and bought myself a piece of pork belly ($2.29/lb), which I will cook at home, hopefully this weekend. I can only hope (or maybe fear?) that I will have the success that Mediterra chef Luis Bollo did with his preparation.
NJ SPICE 
I look forward to hearing how your experiment turns out. I often buy pork belly when I go to the Asian market because I like to make chashu (Japanese simmered pork for ramen) with it. Never thought it might outrank chocolate, though! Perez’s dish sounds wonderful; roast pineapple would be a great complement for pork belly.
Thanks Winslow! I got home from seeing Julie & Julia later than I expected, so this will have to wait (in the freezer) for next weekend. I want to be sure to allow plenty of time to roast it, and not be dealing with a pan of hot fat at 8:00pm or so, when I’m ready to call it a day (in the kitchen at least).
Hey Faith:
Pork bellies are the best. I buy mine at Ely’s, Washington Crossing, PA. They take well to a variety of seasonings. My favorite is a Mediterranean herb mix; serve small pieces of the belly on a Gorgonzola flavored polenta. If you think that you’ve got too much fat on them (I can’t believe that would ever be the case)cool them in the fridge to firm them up so that you can trim them.
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