noah.potk.ın

I’ve never been much of a fan of fusion cuisine, but every once in a while I get the urge to use Asian ingredients in a Western-style preparation or vice-versa. The idea today was to make pasta with pork bellies, my current favorite part of the pig – basically a big hunk of bacon before being smoked and/or cured. All around Asia, pork bellies are usually braised in a flavorful broth for several hours until much of the fat is extracted and the meat is tender. I used a mixture of red wine and chicken stock, flavored with garam masala and orange marmalade, let it simmer for a couple of hours, then skimmed off the fat. Meanwhile, I caramelized a finely-diced onion with some of the drippings, then added a can of tomatoes along with the pork bellies and the braising liquid. This sauce went on top of the penne after simmering for another hour or two, then topped with a mixture of yogurt and Sriracha sauce. Success!