Name: Pork belly with moussaka vinaigrette
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 360 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon; 10 gm caster sugar; 2 kg boneless pork belly; 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 100 gm quince paste, coarsely chopped; To serve: natural yoghurt; Melomakarona crumble; 65 gm unsalted butter, softened; 75 ml olive oil; 25 gm pure icing sugar; 175 gm walnuts, finely chopped; 25 ml strained orange juice; 1½ tsp brandy; 3 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cloves; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 190 gm plain flour; 1 tsp baking powder; Moussaka vinaigrette; 1 large eggplant; 200 ml olive oil; 3 golden shallots, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 1 large red capsicum, finely diced; 1 large zucchini, finely diced; 25 ml sherry vinegar

Pork belly with moussaka vinaigrette

Australian Gourmet Traveller Greek recipe for pork belly with moussaka vinaigrette by chef George Calombaris from Melbourne restaurant The Press Club.

Serves 6

Prep

Cook

Total

George cooks the pork for 15 hours in the sous vide method (cryovac poached at a low temperature). We’ve adjusted the recipe, slow-roasting the pork to make it more user-friendly.

Ingredients

1½ tbsp ground cinnamon

10 gm caster sugar

2 kg boneless pork belly

100 ml extra-virgin olive oil

100 gm quince paste, coarsely chopped

To serve: natural yoghurt

Melomakarona crumble

65 gm unsalted butter, softened

75 ml olive oil

25 gm pure icing sugar

175 gm walnuts, finely chopped

25 ml strained orange juice

1½ tsp brandy

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

190 gm plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Moussaka vinaigrette

1 large eggplant

200 ml olive oil

3 golden shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 large red capsicum, finely diced

1 large zucchini, finely diced

25 ml sherry vinegar

Method

Main

1.Preheat oven to 120C. Combine cinnamon, sugar and 10gm fine sea salt in a bowl. Rub over pork belly, drizzle with olive oil, then place in a roasting tray and roast until very tender (3-3½ hours). Cover with baking paper, weighed with heavy food cans, cool and set aside. Then cut into 6 pieces.

2.Meanwhile, for melomakarona crumble, increase oven to 160C. Beat butter, oil and icing sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (8-10 minutes). Add walnuts, juice, brandy and spices and beat for 2 minutes, then add flour and baking powder and beat until smooth. Spread on a baking paper-lined oven tray and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden (20-25 minutes). Set aside to cool.

3.Meanwhile, for moussaka vinaigrette, preheat a chargrill pan over high heat and cook eggplant, turning occasionally, until soft (25-30 minutes). Cool, then peel (discard skin) and process in a blender until smooth. Heat a pan over low-medium heat, add oil, shallot and garlic and sweat until soft (3-5 minutes). Add capsicum and zucchini, and stir until tender (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat, add vinegar and eggplant and season to taste.

4.Combine quince paste and 100ml water in a small saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until smooth. Set aside.

5.Preheat a grill to high and grill pork, skin-side up, until fat renders (2-3 minutes) then transfer, skin-side down, to a baking paper-lined frying pan. Cook over low heat until skin is crisp (8-10 minutes). Divide quince mixture and pork among serving plates, scatter with crumble, spoon vinaigrette to the side and serve immediately with yoghurt.

Drink Suggestion: Côtes du Rhône, such as the 2006 Tardieu Laurent Les Becs Fin with cherry and tart raspberry grenache notes. Drink suggestion by Andrew Phillpot
Notes