Restaurant Concept Award: Chef Joshua Henderson
Skillet Street Food | Seattle

Adapted by StarChefs.com
February 2009

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

Wet Brine:

• 1 gallon water
  
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 2¼ cups coarse salt
  
• 12 juniper berries
  
• 12 cloves
  
• 6 cinnamon sticks
  
• 12 black peppercorns
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 4 pounds pork belly, cut into 6 ounce pieces
  
  Spice-Braised Pork Belly:
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 4 cups sliced onions
  
• 6 cinnamon sticks
  
• 6 cloves
  
• 1 tablespoon allspice
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  
• 2 quarts beef stock
  
• 1 quart apple juice
  
• 2 cups brown sugar
  
  Cornmeal Waffle:
  
• 1 egg
  
• 3/4 cup milk
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 2 teaspoons sugar
  
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
  
  To Assemble and Serve:
  

• 8 quail eggs

Method

For the Wet Brine:
Bring the water to a simmer. Add the sugar and spices and steep for 1 hour. Allow the brine to cool and add the pork belly. Fully submerge for 24 hours. Remove the pork belly and reserve for braising.

For the Spice-Braised Pork Belly:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small roasting pan, heat the olive oil and sweat the onions until translucent. Add the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and thyme and make a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and the pork. The liquid should come about halfway up the pork belly. Remove liquid or add stock as needed. Braise for approximately 2 hours, or until fork tender. Remove the pork belly and strain the braising liquid into a saucepot. Simmer and skim the foam and fat that accumulates while the sauce is reducing. When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, check seasoning and set aside for service.

For the Cornmeal Waffle:
Preheat the waffle maker. Put all the ingredients in a blender. Cover and process at medium-high speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-blend. Pour ½ cup of the batter over grids. Close the waffle maker and bake until golden. Repeat with the remaining batter.

To Assemble and Serve:
Fry or poach the quail eggs. Place a waffle on each plate and top with a piece of pork belly. Place an egg on each piece of pork, and drizzle with the reduced braising liquid.

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