Crispy Pork Belly + Creamy Black Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad

We're baaaaack!

We had a great month travelling around Boston, then California. We saw some great friends and family - and of course, we ate some great food. Hang tight, I'm working on a review of our favorites for all of you.

In the meantime, we want to share this pork and quinoa recipe with you. Quinoa is a very versatile grain-like ingredient, used often in salads or paired with a protein/veggie combo. You can even make quinoa smoothies! It's seen a surge in popularity in recent years, and the price has tripled due to high demand in the Western world. In fact, the UN recently named 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa. Our quinoa obsession is due in part to the food's numerous health benefits - it's full of lysine, calcium, phosphorous, and iron. As its popularity increases, however, concerns have sparked about the impact of increased demand on the availability of the crop to citizens of countries which grow it - Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, and others.

There are multiple varieties of quinoa, each with its own color and flavor. For this recipe, I used black quinoa simply because I had it on hand. The quinoa and sweet potato salad in this recipe is vegetarian friendly,  but we have some crispy pork belly to top the whole thing if you're so inclined.

Black Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad
Serves 3-4

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups light cream
• 1 cup black quinoa
• 1 Carrot
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 3 tbsp vegetable (or peanut or canola) oil
• Shaved romano or parmesan cheese (optional, but seriously who doesn't want cheese?)
• Salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut carrots and sweet potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Add maple syrup and toss until the vegetables are coated. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a baker's mat. The idea here is not to let the maple syrup ruin your baking sheet).
Add salt and pepper
Bake about 30 minutes until tender. Stab 'em with a fork to see if they're soft enough. Set aside.

While your vegetables are roasting, bring water to a boil and add quinoa. Remember cooking quinoa is like cooking rice, not pasta - if you add too much water you're going to have a soupy mess. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for at least 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the cooked carrots and sweet potatoes. Spread them out but don't stir or toss them until you see a little char on the bottom. Add light cream and bring to a simmer. Add quinoa and stir it up, then remove from the heat.


Crispy Pork Belly

• 2-3 tbsp vegetable (or peanut or canola) oil
• As many 1/4 inch thick or thinner strips of uncured pork belly as your heart desires 
• Salt + pepper

Note: If your pork belly is thicker than 1/4 inch, we highly recommend slicing it about as thick as  a nice thick-cut bacon strip. Thicker cuts of pork belly will need to be braised in the oven before frying to make the fat tender. By slicing it thinly you're effectively creating uncured bacon, which will fry up nicely. 

Season the pork bellies with salt and pepper. You can keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

In a medium skillet heat oil on medium-high head until smoking. Place the in the pan (be careful of oil splashes!) and cook about 2 minutes per side.

If you've worked with pork belly before, you can "cook by color" here - keep them in the pan until you get the color you want on each side. Personally, I like my pork medium-rare to medium. The days of overcooked pork for fear of trichinosis are behind us, people!



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RAMEN.

Soup is the best. Specifically, ramen is the best. There's not much better than a huge bowl of steaming broth and all your favorite fixins. This recipe is a fresh and simple version of what can often be a day-long process. Though it's true that you'll get superb results by making your own broth from scratch, we thought you'd appreciate a time-saver for those late-night ramen emergencies. You're welcome.

Ramen Broth

• 3 quarts water
• 1 sheet nori
• 5 grams bonito flakes 
• 4 tbsp miso
• 2 tbsp lite soy sauce
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Remove bonito flakes, garlic, and nori by pouring through a wire strainer. Reserve broth.

Add pepper to taste.

Combine with noodles, fresh veggies, and chicken or pork (or beef, or fish...) and celebrate your status as the ruler of the soup.

Fixins - use as much or as little as you want!

• Ramen (wheat flour) noodles
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Bean sprouts
• Hard boiled egg
• Oyster mushrooms
• Bamboo
• Panko fried chicken (egg, rice flour, panko)
• Pork belly (salt, black peppercorns, garlic cloves, and bay leaves)
• Green onions

The most important thing to remember here is thin slices. If your vegetables are sliced thinly enough, a nice steamy broth will soften them nicely. If the vegetables are too thick you're going to have a delicious-yet-crunchy soup. 

Your egg can be soft boiled, hard boiled, or anything in between. For a soft boiled egg, bring eggs and water to a boil and continue to boil for five minutes. For a hard boiled egg, make it seven minutes. Remember to start timing once the eggs and water begin to boil, not when the eggs go in. 

To cook pork bellies:

Boil 1 lb of pork bellies with 2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp black peppercorns, 4 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on thickness. When ready to serve, deep fry or pan fry in oil until sides are heavily browned.

To cook chicken: 

Pound chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer until 1/2 inch thick. Coat both sides evenly with rice flour and dip the breast in raw scrambled eggs. Bread with panko, sprinkle salt and pepper. Deep fry at 375° until golden brown (about three minutes). Slice on a bias and soup it up.

Ramen. Amen!

Milk braised pork with lemon-gruyère sauce

Damn! This is the most tender pork you've ever had. Seriously. It's also crispy, cheesy, and goes great on top of a heap of sautéed swiss chard or collard greens. If you're looking for something a little more filling, pair your pork with rice.

The sauce is made with gruyère, an excellent cheese for cooking with because of its distinctive yet subtle taste. The flavor of gruyère changes as it ages, beginning with a nutty flavor and gradually becoming more earthy over time. 

For this recipe, you'll need a crockpot. If you don't have one, get one. You will never regret it, ever.

Milk Braised Pork

Cooking time: About 6.5 hours

• 7lb skin on, bone in pork shoulder (about 4 lbs without bones or skin)
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cups whole milk
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 15 fresh sage leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt + fresh ground black pepper (at least 1 tbsp of each)

Put half of the thyme and half of the sage at the bottom of the crock pot.

Chop up all the veggies and put them with the herbs in the pot.

Use a knife to score the skin of the pork shoulder.

In a hot pan with 3 tbsp olive oil, sear the sides of the pork.

Place the seared shoulder in the crock pot, cover with remaining herbs.

Add milk, salt, and pepper. You can always add more salt and pepper later, so go easy at first.

Cook for 6 hours on high.

Before serving, sear pieces of cooked pork on high heat to crisp up the outsides. This adds a nice variation in texture, but also brings out the incredible flavor of the pork in a different way.


Lemon-Gruyère Sauce
Cooking time: About 15 minutes

• About 3 cups of liquid pork drippings 
• About 3 tbsp roux (more roux = thicker sauce!)
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese (more cheese = never a bad idea)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Sea salt + fresh ground black pepper to taste

Skim the fat off the top of the pork drippings. This should leave you with a clear-ish liquid, which you should bring to a boil in a saucepan.

Add roux, milk, and shredded cheese. Whisk until blended.

Add lemon, and nutmeg.

Add salt and pepper to taste.