I removed the skin from the belly, reserving it to make pork rinds, and heavily salted it. I placed it in a baking dish, covered it and chilled it for 6 hours. I removed the belly and rinsed the salt off of it. I placed it back in the dish and covered it with smoked pork fat. The fat is the stuff I have leftover from making smoked chicken wings. The wings are cooked in the fat after being smoked which imparts that same flavor to the fat itself. I placed the belly in an oven set to 250 degrees and cooked it for 3.5 hours. The belly can be stored covered in the fat for upwards of six months if kept chilled. I seared the belly in pork fat over medium heat to achieve a nice golden brown crust.
I made the bean ragout by soaking dried lentils, ying yang beans, great northern white beans and red kidney beans overnight. I strained them and cooked them in a seasoned pork stock for an hour until tender. I served the cranberry beans raw to retain their beautiful color and to add some texture. The cranberry beans were fresh out of their pods.
The pork jus was made by reducing the pork stock and apple cider til it thickened up to a syrupy consistency. I use apple cider a lot during the fall and winter, especially in stocks and sauces. I finished off the plate with some pea shoots and tendrils.
Product:
Organic Ying Yang Beans - Culton Organics
Organic Cranberry Beans - Culton Organics
Organic Pea Leaves - Queen's Farm