Executive Chef Shaun Armstrong from Montage Deer Valley came on the show and taught us how to make beer lacquered pork belly with quick pickled watermelon which he nicknames “Beer Belly.”
Beer Lacquered Pork Belly
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1/2c + 2tbs sugar
- 2 pork belly, skinless
- 2 btls Beer
- 2 tbs rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbs fish sauce
- 2 tsp tamarind concentrate
- 1 ea Thai chili or Serrano chili
- 1/2 ea lime juice
- Pickled watermelon as needed
Cooking Instructions
1. Combine salt, 2 tbs of sugar, rub on pork belly, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat over to 350F, rinse pork belly, pat dry, place pork in Dutch Oven pour in ¼ c water, ½ c beer and 2 tbs rice wine vinegar, cover and cook 1.5 hrs until fork tender. Remove from heat, press if desired, cool for at least 2 hours or more, cut into 1-inch cubes.
3. When ready to serve cook ¼ cup sugar over medium heat, swirl sugar until completely melted, using a wet pastry brush, as needed wash down sides of pan to release sugar crystals. Add remaining sugar and swirl continue cooking until a rich caramel is achieved. Turn off heat add in 1/8 c water and 1/2 cup of beer, turn heat to high and cook until caramel is smooth, add in fish sauce, tamarind, lime juice and chili.
4. Set oven temperature to 400F, toss cubed pork into caramel, spread out on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes. Turn the pork occasionally to crisp on all sides. Serve with pickled watermelon.
Quick Pickled Watermelon
Ingredients:
- 1tbs lime juice
- 1tbs sugar
- 1tbs fish sauce
- 1ea Thai chili, minced
- 1tbs rice wine vinegar
- 4ea Thai basil leaf, torn
- 2c watermelon, diced
Cooking Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients except watermelon and basil leaf, stir until sugar dissolve.
2. Toss watermelon with vinaigrette and basil leafs
