BBQ PORK BELLY TACOS

           OK…. THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE AMAZING!!! Pork Belly has been one of the new rising fads in the culinary industry but some of us have known about this gift for many years. Pork Belly is the part of the pig that bacon (well, good quality bacon) comes from. That being said, “How could this possibly go wrong?”

            While on a food research mission to Florida, I came across this amazing dish that I had heard of but never seen presented in this manor before. It is not new for pork belly to be BBQ’d, smothered in sauce, or even served with some form of onion but in a sweet sauce style? On a taco? And a sweet salsa? This I had to try and duplicate!

            I had the opportunity to talk about this dish with the chef and felt that he made it much to complicated for what it needed to be. Besides, simplicity is the best form of creation. Because of this, I have made this recipe for you; My Anonamites. After a few failures (Yes, even chefs fail… A lot more then we like to admit), may I present to you: BBQ Pork Belly Tacos.

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ lbs. Pork Belly (Look for one that has a good bit of fat on it)

¾ cup Diced Sweet Onion

½ lb. Chopped Bacon (Yes, more pork. Hickory Smoked Bacon is best, but any full salted bacon will do)

16 oz BBQ Sauce (You want a sweet variety like Mesquite Molasses, Honey, or Brown Sugar)

Taco Shells

Salsa (A sweet variety. I use Mango Peach Salsa)

Hot Sauce (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Prep the pork belly by scoring the fat side in a diamond checker pattern (this allows for the pork belly to sweat and not fold like bacon does).

2.      Heat grill to as close to a sustained 275 degrees F as possible. If using a charcoal grill, after coals burn down, move to one side in order to create a cool spot.

3.      Place pork belly (fat side up) on the part of the grill that does not have burners on, or the cool spot away from the direct heat (this is called cooking on indirect heat). Close lid and allow to cook for approximately 2 hours.

4.      To finish pork belly, move over the direct heat source and brown on both sides. You are going to see the fat side of the pork belly char, which is what you are looking for.

5.      Remove from grill and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

6.      Slice pork belly into ½ inch strips, then slice the opposite direction to create small chunks that have fat and meat on each (Depending on the amount of fat on the pork belly, you may choose to remove a small amount of the fat from the pork. Do not remove all because that is part of the flavor profile that is needed when finishing).

7.      While pork belly is resting, place bacon and onions in a pot over medium/high heat mixing regularly. Saute till bacon is cooked and onions are translucent.

8.      Add pork belly to the pot with the onions and bacon. Saute together for about 2-3 minutes constantly mixing.

9.      Add BBQ sauce to mix and stir till all ingredients are combined and hot.

10.  Fill taco shells with mix and top with salsa.

          I did find that a few drops of hot sauce (not too many so that the sweet is not overpowered) on top did make for a very good, and intriguing spicy/sweet complex and would recommend if you can handle the heat. I recommend serving this with Mac and Cheese (See Mac and Cheese, Social Media Style blog at: https://cheftufaroanonymous.blogspot.com/2019/07/mac-and-cheese-social-media-style.html)

This recipe has truly been an honor to share with you. You are the real reason why I do what it is that I do. ENJOY!!!