Executive Chef Clifford Crooks (BLT Steak, New York, New York)
Serves 4–6
This delectable dish is an example of how some of today’s chefs are preparing classic comfort food such as pot pie using trendy ingredients like pork belly and root vegetables. I am especially impressed with Executive Chef Clifford’s choice to confit the pork belly. To confit is a term that means to cook food in its own fat. This method results in the most tender and succulent piece of pork belly that you will ever consume.
Story by Chef Nicole
¼ cup salt
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground paprika
1½ pounds pork belly
2 pounds lard or duck fat, divided
½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
½ pound parsnips, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
3 heads garlic, divided
4 springs thyme, divided
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon butter
¼ teaspoon cumin
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Crème fraîche, as needed
Mix the salt, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and paprika in a bowl, and coat the pork belly liberally. Store in a refrigerator for 24 hours to cure.
Warm 1 pound of lard. Place the carrots and parsnips (in separate dishes) in two oven-proof dishes, and cover with the lard. Slice one head of garlic in half, and place one half with the carrots and the other half with the parsnips. Then add one sprig of thyme and a pinch of salt to each. Cover with foil and bake in an oven for 40 minutes at 275°F until just fork-tender. Allow the vegetables to cool in fat and remove, reserving the fat to confit the pork belly.
Remove the pork from the cure, rinse, and gently pat dry. Place the pork in an oven-proof dish with the remaining garlic heads (split), thyme, peppercorns, and remaining 1 pound of lard. Cover with foil and cook in the oven at 275°F for 4 hours. Let it cool before opening, and then remove the pork from the fat and rest it on a sheet pan. In a small pan over low to medium heat, sweat onions and the sliced garlic cloves with butter until translucent. Add cumin, and let cool while you shred the pork belly. Mix the pork belly and onion mixture together, and set aside.
Line a baking dish or pie pan with a layer of the puff pastry on the bottom. Blind bake the puff pastry by placing a sheet of parchment paper over the puff pastry, and fill with dry beans or baking beads. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes to slightly set. To remove the beans or beads from the puff pastry, grab the edges of the parchment paper, and carefully lift and remove all of the contents. Layer half of the carrots and parsnips artfully in the bottom of the blind-baked puff pastry. Add the pork mixture on top, and then cover the pork with the remaining carrots and parsnips. Cover the top of the pie with the other sheet of puff pastry, and crimp the edges closed. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of the pie with an egg wash (a beaten egg brushed on right before baking will give your crust sheen). Cut a decorative hole or a few slits in the top of the pie (to release steam), place the baking dish on top of a sheet pan, and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes until golden brown. Cool the pie for 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with dollops of crème fraîche and enjoy.