Recipe: Oven Baked Pork Belly

Pork belly is a boneless and fatty cut of meat that's popular in a variety of cultural cuisines. Its flavor when cooked depends largely on whether you're eating it skin-on or skin-off. Most people associate pork belly with a crispy first layer (the skin) atop the second layer, mostly fat, and then a tender, rich portion of meat. This particular recipe by Chef Gordon Ramsey is a go-to favorite for Moody's Foodie—hands down, this is a fabulous recipe. Try it out with Moody's Butcher Shop pork belly, locally sourced, and always the highest quality.

Oven Baked Pork Belly

• 2+ lbs. Moody’s pork belly

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• one fennel bulb (trimmed and roughly sliced (optional: reduces wine & broth))

• 4 bay leaves

• 3 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)

• 1 t cardamom pods (crushed)

• 4 star anise

• 1 T fennel seeds

• olive oil

• 2 C white wine

• 3-4 C chicken stock (depending on the size of your pan)

• 1 T whole grain mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Score the pork belly skin diagonally with a diamond pattern at 1-inch intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper, rubbing well into the skin.

3. Put the fennel, bay leaves, garlic, cardamon, star anise, and half the fennel seeds into a hot roasting pan on the stove with a little oil and heat for about 2 minutes until aromatic. Push to the side of the pan, then add the pork, skin side down, and cook for at least 5 minutes until turning golden brown. Turn the pork over, season the skin again with salt and sprinkle with the remaining fennel seeds. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom (be careful not to get the skin on the pork wet). Bring to a boil, then pour in enough chicken stock to come up to the layer of fat just below the skin and allow to boil again.

4. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and cook for 2 ½ hours.

5. When done, transfer the meat to a warm plate and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, spoon off any excess fat in the roasting pan or drag a slice of bread along the surface of the cooking juices to absorb it. Heat the pan on the stovetop, adding the mustard. Mix in with a whisk, then taste and adjust the flavors as necessary. Remove the star anise and cardamom pods and pour the sauce into a creamer pitcher. Serve the rested pork with the sauce alongside.