Pork Belly Lechon

Caramelized Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mint Gel, Roasted Fennel, Frico, Vanilla Pork Jus, and Sweet Cicely

Chef César Murillo of North Pond | Chicago

Adapted by StarChefs | September 2021

INGREDIENTS:

Caramelized Parmiano-Reggiano Purée:
75 grams grated Caputo Parmigiano-Reggiano
125 grams half-and-half, warmed
2 grams xanthan gum
Salt
Sugar

Frico:
100 grams finely grated Caputo Parmigiano-Reggiano

Fennel Mint Gel:
50 grams fennel fronds
50 grams mint
Salt
Sugar
Ultra-tex 8

White Soy Butter:
150 grams tempered butter
25 grams white soy sauce

Milk Brine:
2 lemons, halved
12 bay leaves
100 grams parsley
10 sprigs thyme
60 grams sugar
60 grams honey
½ head garlic, peeled
85 grams black pepper
550 grams salt
1 gallon whole milk

Pork Belly Lechón:
1 Niman Ranch pork belly, skin on
Salt
Black pepper
1 package Activa RM

Vanilla Pork Jus:
120 grams pork scraps
50 grams oil
120 grams roasted chicken jus
50 grams vegetable stock
3 Vnlla Extract Co. vanilla beans
40 grams butter
Apple cider vinegar
Salt

Sliced Fennel:
1 bulb fennel
Salt

To Assemble and Serve:
Cornstarch
Neutral oil
Maldon salt
Sweet cicely

METHOD:

For the Caramelized Parmigiano-Reggiano Purée:
Spread Parmigiano-Reggiano onto a sheet pan. Toast in a 350°F oven until golden brown. Using a Vitamix blender, blend toasted Parmigiano-Reggiano, warm half-and-half, and xanthan gum into a smooth purée. Season with salt and sugar. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and into a squeeze bottle. Reserve

For the Frico:
Spread Parmigiano-Reggiano onto a sheet pan. Toast in a 350°F oven until golden brown. Break into bite-sized pieces and store in a dry area.

For the Fennel Mint Gel:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Very quickly, blanch the fennel and mint for 10 seconds then immediately shock in ice water. Once cold, transfer blanched herbs to a Vitamix blender and add enough cold water to barely cover them. Blend on high until the sides of the blender feel like room temperature. Don’t let the liquid become warm, or your finished product will look army green. Strain liquid into a bowl and generously season with salt and sugar. It’s going to need more seasoning than you think, or the gel won't be able to stand up to the other components on the dish. Whisk in Ultra-Tex 8, 1 teaspoon at a time, until gel is no longer runny and can stand up on its own. Pass through a fine mesh strainer. Place gel in a vacuum chamber to remove air bubbles. This results in a greener gel that won’t oxidize as quickly. Place gel into a squeeze bottle and reserve.

For the White Soy Butter:
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip together all ingredients until incorporated. Keep cold.

For the Milk Brine:
In a pot, bring all ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and place pot over ice to chill. Once cold, strain and reserve liquid.

For the Pork Belly Lechón:
Using a small knife, remove skin from the pork belly and scrape the excess fat from skin. Cut pork belly in half lengthwise. Make a slit down the middle of the belly, cutting about halfway through. Place knife inside the slit and butterfly each side open. Think of it like opening a book. Trim off any silverskin. Repeat with remaining piece of pork belly. Brine the butterflied pork belly in the Milk Brine for 3 hours. Remove and let sit in the walk-in to air-dry overnight on a rack. Season on all sides with salt and pepper then dust all sides with Activa RM. Roll pork belly into itself like porchetta. Cut and score one piece of pork belly skin the length of the rolled pork belly. Dust the top of the rolled pork belly with more Activa RM and place the pork skin on top. Tie with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Cryovac the tied pork belly and sous vide for 12 hours at 167°C. Once cooled, remove the kitchen string and portion into 4-ounce servings. 

For the Vanilla Pork Jus:
Sauté pork scraps with oil until golden brown. Add roasted chicken jus and vegetable stock. Reduce until nappe then strain. Add vanilla and mount with butter. Season with vinegar and salt. The finished sauce should be bright and acidic.

For the Sliced Fennel:
Turn the fennel bulb on its side and cut into ½-inch slices. Using a peeler, peel the outsides. Salt for 1 hour before service to soften.

For the Shaved Fennel Salad:
Toss shaved fennel with fennel fronds. Season with lemon juice and salt to order. The salad should be bright and acidic.

To Assemble and Serve:
Dust a portion of Pork Belly Lechón with cornstarch and drop in a 325°F fryer until the exterior is crispy and the inside is warm. Let rest before slicing into 3 pieces and finish with maldon salt. Sear Sliced Fennel in a hot pan with oil. Once Sliced Fennel begins to brown, add some White Soy Butter and baste until tender. Place 2 generous dollops of Caramelized Parmigiano-Reggiano Purée onto a serving plate. Dot the plate with Fennel Mint Gel. Plate a bed of Sliced Fennel and add small piles of Shaved Fennel Salad. Place the Pork Belly Lechón on the plate and sauce with about 2 tablespoons of Vanilla Pork Jus. Garnish with pieces of Frico and sweet cicely.

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