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you can cut it into lardons—1-inch-long batons that are ¼ inch wide and ¼ inch thick—and crisp them up almost like pork croutons and serve them on a frisée or spinach salad. It’s also great with pickled relish and pickled vegetables, and with spicy greens such as watercress and arugula. Or you can use it as the center of a composed dish (see here). It’s nice on a sandwich, too. Think of it as you would bacon. And note that it’s the first B in our BBLT.

BRAISED PORK BELLY

This basic braised pork belly can be used in any number of ways, including in Fresh Bacon with Watermelon and Haloumi and in braised Pork Belly with Soft Polenta and Seared Mushrooms. Or fry it up for a scrumptious addition to a frisée salad.

To braise pork belly, I first remove the skin (I save it to add to any meat stock for incredible body, add it to stews, or confit it and fry it into cracklings). Then I give it a twenty-four-hour cure of salt, a little sugar, chilies, aromatics, and spices. Salt pulls out moisture and firms up the meat a little bit in addition to seasoning it. Then I braise it in a basic chicken stock with mirepoix, submerging the belly just up to the top layer of fat. Very easy to do—and delicious.

Makes 1½ pounds

2 pounds fresh pork belly, skin removed

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted (see Symon Says)

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes Grated zest of 1 orange

1 red onion, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

4 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

1 cup dry white wine

1 quart (4 cups) Chicken Stock

1 cinnamon stick

Rinse the pork belly and pat it dry.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, coriander, red pepper flakes, and orange zest. Coat the pork belly with the mixture and place in a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Remove the belly from the refrigerator, rinse off the seasonings, and pat dry.

In a large nonreactive pot, combine the onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf, white wine, chicken stock, and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer.

Put the belly in a Dutch oven and pour the liquid over it. Place the belly in the oven, cover, and braise for 7 hours, or until very tender.

Remove the pot from the oven and let the belly cool in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate in the poaching liquid until ready to use, up to 1 week. Drain (but do not discard) the liquid before using the belly.

BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH SOFT POLENTA AND SEARED MUSHROOMS

Once you have the braised pork belly cooked and chilled in your fridge, this is an easy and delicious winter dish. The mushrooms can be cooked and kept warm while you prepare the polenta or they can be cooked in advance and reheated after you’ve cooked the polenta. In any case, the polenta takes the longest time to cook. Another suggestion for this dish is to garnish it with Pickled Ramps rather than the balsamic vinaigrette.

Serves 8

2 tablespoons canola oil

Braised Pork Belly, cut into 8 slabs

Soft Polenta with Mascarpone

Seared Wild Mushrooms

½ cup Balsamic Vinaigrette

Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pork belly and cook each side until crisp, about 2 minutes per side.

Spoon the polenta into the center of each of eight plates. Lay the pork belly on top and top it with seared mushrooms. Drizzle a tablespoon of vinaigrette over each.

Don’t discard the poaching liquid when braising pork belly. Remove the fat from the top, strain the liquid (discard the solids), and use as a stock for hearty soups and stews.

FRESH BACON WITH WATERMELON AND HALOUMI

Haloumi is a salty Greek cheese that is firm enough to grill. I sauté it, put a piece of pork belly on top, and serve it with something acidic, some pickled green tomatoes and chilies or a spicy vinaigrette. The Greeks make a salad of seared or grilled haloumi (or feta) and watermelon which is a creative way to mix sweet and salty flavors. When I was eating one of these salads I thought, “Oh man, this would be so amazing with