Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Big Ass Sandwich
1 lb pork belly
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, cut in halves
2 leeks, thinly sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups dry cider
2 cups chicken or beef stock
Season pork with salt and pepper. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add pork and sear both sides. Remove pork (leave in all the drippings), then reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, leek and carrot. Stir often, until soft, 5 minutes. Pour in cider and bring to a boil. Stir often until liquid has reduced by half.
Return pork belly to Dutch oven and pour in enough stock to barely cover pork. Bring back to a boil, then
place in preheated 350°F oven. Braise, occasionally turning meat over, until tender, about 1 to 1½ hours.
Remove pork; strain liquid and return to Dutch oven. Skim and discard excess fat. (If you have more time,
refrigerate liquid so fat solidifies. This makes it easier to remove.) Place over medium-high heat. Boil liquid
down to form a glaze. You should have about ¼ cup.
For a decadent sandwich spread, stir glaze into spoonfuls of mayo mixed with grainy mustard. Cool pork, then thickly slice.
Sandwich assembly:
Pan-fry pork belly slices. Toast slices of light rye or challah bread. Generously smear toast with mayo sauce.
Scatter shredded lettuce over bottom slice, then top with sliced tomatoes, pickles, red onion rings, thin slices of smoked cheddar, bacon and a fried egg. Add in pickled beets, pickled jalapeño peppers, you name it! Top with toast slice, then cut in half. Don’t forget the hot sauce.