Pork belly in citrus salt with rosemary and thyme
6 servings
180 minutes
Pork belly in citrus salt with rosemary and thyme is an exquisite dish of European cuisine. The salt infused with lemon zest, rosemary, and thyme makes the meat incredibly tender and its flavor deeper and richer. Slow roasting makes the belly soft, allowing its juiciness to shine through. The garnish of savoy cabbage, fava beans, and carrots pickled in a delicate balance of vinegar and maple syrup adds a crispy freshness and subtle spicy notes to the meat. The balsamic sauce adds zest and completes the composition. This dish is perfect for a festive dinner, leaving an indelible impression with its elegant simplicity and harmony of flavors.
1
The thick red skin from the breast should be cut off — during cooking, it turns into a shoe-making material, not a culinary one.
2
Mix sea salt with grated lemon zest, finely chopped thyme, and rosemary. Generously coat a piece of pork with citrus salt, place it in a suitable container, and refrigerate for eight to ten hours.
- Lemon: 4 pieces
- Fresh rosemary: 20 g
- Fresh thyme: 20 g
- Coarse sea salt: 50 g
3
Remove all salt from the marinated meat — if necessary, you can even rinse it under running water for fifteen minutes. Place the pork on a baking sheet and send it to an oven preheated to 230 degrees. After half an hour, reduce the temperature to 120 degrees and leave the brisket in this mode for another hour to an hour and a half.
- Pork belly: 1 kg
4
While the meat is baking, you can prepare the garnish. Separate the Savoy cabbage into leaves, immerse them in boiling water for three minutes, then pour over a mixture of vinegar (preferably sherry), olive oil, maple syrup, and lightly toasted coriander and white mustard seeds. Place the cabbage in the refrigerator - it should marinate for an hour.
- Savoy cabbage: 400 g
- White wine vinegar: 50 ml
- Olive oil: 20 ml
- Maple syrup: 50 ml
- Coriander seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
5
Blanch peeled fava beans and diced carrots in salted water. Mix the beans and carrots with chopped pickled cabbage - this garnish can compete in impressiveness with roasted brisket.
- Fava beans: 400 g
- Carrot: 100 g
6
Sauté the vegetables in butter, and for the meat, make a sauce by reducing balsamic vinegar over low heat until thick. Arrange the garnish on plates, add a few slices of roasted meat and balsamic sauce, and serve immediately.
- Butter: 20 g
- Balsamic vinegar: to taste