Roasted pork belly is one of my earliest attempts to recreate a restaurant dish. Yes, I have grilled many a steak, hot dog, sausage or hamburger, but this is different.

Searching for the Grail

I enjoyed this at several restaurants in faraway places. It’s hard to believe in a Razorback hog-centric state such as my adopted home, it was on nary a menu. Many people have never tried it. Some are put off by the name. Some are health conscious and fear they might die at the mere smell or taste of it.  Veggie, pesci or other “tarians” won’t consider it based on personal principles. Respectfully, to each his or her own.

Desiring company on my road to cholesterol nirvana, I decided to lure some friends to the joy of fatty, bacon-y goodness. With commitments from several who promised to serve as my guinea pigs, I set about finding a recipe. A trip to visit family solved that problem.

Recipe Provenance

A favorite restaurant, the 610 Magnolia Wine Studio, was hosting a special dinner and there were two seats left. My friend Philip and I scored. Providentially, pork belly was part of the tasting menu. Better than that, being two familiar faces, chef agreed to share his recipe with me and sent me home with his secret ingredient. Literally. I brought a tub of it back to Arkansas.

Chef Lee’s Secret

Ed Lee is not one of those crazy secretive guys and I know he won’t mind if I reveal the secret.  It’s the dried powdered remains of soy sauce fermented in used bourbon barrels. Technically it was in the menu description, so maybe it isn’t considered secret. It is hard to come by because there aren’t many purveyors of condiments created by fusion of Korean and Kentucky cultures. It adds an earthy, savory component that you can’t quite put your finger on but you know it’s there.

Overcoming Hurdles

There were some additional challenges to this dish. Fresh pork belly for one. My local butcher, as good as he is, only carried frozen stuff. Then there was the issue of size. Only five pounds plus please, neither of which fit my wishes or my baking dishes. Because my butcher is a real butcher, he figured it out and gave me what I needed. This experiment was a go.

So here is the recipe for Pork Belly with bourbon barrel soy sauce powder. Serve this with a good craft beer. We enjoyed Hazelnut Brown Ale from Core Brewing here in Arkansas with our meal.