Reuben Riffel’s Yellow Bellied Pork

Reuben Riffel’s Yellow Bellied Pork

This meal is as pretty as it is delicious with perfectly spiced pork belly with poached apricots and curry sauce. Enjoy Reuben Riffel’s Yellow Bellied Pork!

Ingredients

1⁄2 pork belly, deboned, fat scored finely
3 tbsp (45 ml) coarse salt
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1⁄2 cups (360 ml) curry sauce

Instructions

Rub the pork belly evenly with salt, focusing on the fatty part. Rub in the thyme evenly. Let cure for 30 minutes.

Set the Big Green EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 325°F/163°C. Place a drip pan on the convEGGtor and then add the stainless steel grid.

Dust the excess salt off the pork belly and add to the cooking grid, fatty side up. Cook for one hour and 40 minutes; flipping the meat over halfway through. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve drizzled with warm curry sauce and poached apricots.

Poached Apricots Ingredients

8 dried apricots
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 cup (240 ml) sugar
2 star anise
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cinnamon

Poached Apricots Instructions

Bring all the ingredients except the apricots to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, add the apricots and poach for two to three minutes. Remove from the heat and strain.

Curry Sauce Ingredients

1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) white wine vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) garlic, chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) ginger, chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) curry powder
2 tbsp (30 ml) garam masala
1 tbsp (15 ml) turmeric
1 tbsp (15 ml) paprika
3 allspice/pimentos
2 bay leaves
1 cup (240 ml) whole peeled tomatoes
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
1 tsp (5 ml) ground black pepper

Curry Sauce Instructions

Set the EGG for direct cooking (without the convEGGtor) at 350°F/177°C.

Add the oil to a Stir-Fry & Paella Pan and cook the onions and spices until soft and fragrant. Deglaze the onion mixture with white wine vinegar and reduce the EGG temperature to 300°F/149°C.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to a thick gravy consistency. Blend until smooth and strain.

Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe and photo from the Big Green Egg, courtesy of Reuben Riffel. You can find out more about Reuben in our Lifestyle Magazine.