Tangerine-Glazed Pork Belly

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pounds pork belly, cut into portions about 4 1/2 by 3-inches each
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups tangerine juice, divided
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
• 3/4 cups sugar
• Bitter Greens Salad, recipe follows

Directions

Adjust oven setting to broil.

Using a sharp knife, score the fat side of the pork belly, diagonally, and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Place onion, carrots, and celery in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the pork belly, scored side up, on top of the vegetables. Broil until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Turn the pork flesh side up and continue broiling for 10 more minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Turn the pork back to the scored side up and add the chicken stock, 2 cups of the tangerine juice, light brown sugar, thyme, cloves, and allspice to the roasting pan. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 2 hours. After 2 hours, fold back the foil to create a vent and continue to bake for another 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

While the pork is braising, prepare the tangerine glaze: Using a fine wire-meshed sieve, strain any pulp out of the remaining 2 cups tangerine juice. Combine the juice and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook until the glaze is thick and syrupy, about 30 to 40 minutes. (The finished glaze will form dime-sized bubbles while simmering and will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.)

Remove the pan from the oven and let the pork cool slightly in the braising liquid. Adjust oven setting to broil. Remove the pieces of pork belly from the braising liquid and pat dry. Using a pastry brush, baste the pork belly on all sides with the glaze. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until crispy around the edges and golden brown.

Drizzle pork belly generously with any remaining glaze and serve immediately over Bitter Greens Salad.

Bitter Greens Salad:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup olive oil

1 pound mixed bitter greens, such as dandelion, baby arugula, wild spinach, or baby spinach

Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon, honey, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. In a large mixing bowl, toss the bitter greens together. Season greens with salt and pepper. Drizzle as much dressing as desired over the greens and toss to combine.