Pressing pork matters

November 23, 2010 2:07 PM

I've got a nice big piece of pork belly, and I'm going to braise it in cider and wine, as in this recipe. I've made it before, and it was excellent. Which wine (or cider, or even beer) would you pair it with?

Also, in most recipes for twice-cooked (confit) pork belly ( like this one ) the meat is weighed down/pressed overnight after it's been cooked once in fat. Why is that? Would it make sense to use this technique in a non-confit recipe, like the braise?

posted by Siberian Mist to food & drink (7 answers total)

Not sure exactly which kind, but use one that you would like to drink.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 2:15 PM on November 23, 2010

you weigh it down to firm the texture. I would def do it with a braise that you are letting rest overnight (which is what you should do). The overnight rest mellows and deepens the flavors and makes defatting the whole thing easier.
posted by JPD at 2:18 PM on November 23, 2010

ETA - if you let it rest overnight just take it off the heat, let cool to room temp, weigh it down and put it in your fridge. In the morning scrape the hard fat off of the juices, remove the pork and continue the straining and reducing in the recipe.
posted by JPD at 2:20 PM on November 23, 2010

To answer your original question, pork and apple were created for each other in a way that pork and grape can only dream about. Wine is good with pork; cider is transcendent with pork.
posted by General Malaise at 3:18 PM on November 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

Since you're using cider in your recipe (and your profile says you're in Belgium), try getting your hands on some Basque Sidra ("sargardoa" - it's different than regular hard ciders). It's delicious.
posted by melissasaurus at 4:41 PM on November 23, 2010

That does not answer the question of apfelwein vs. apfelbier vs. cidre vs. lambic pomme. I would go with Lindeman's Pomme.
posted by mkb at 4:41 PM on November 23, 2010

I followed JPD's instructions - excellent results. Couldn't find any decent cider so I bought the Lindemans Pomme, which was truly amazing- not a beer I'd usually drink, but paired with the pork it was sublime. Thanks, everyone!
posted by Siberian Mist at 11:17 AM on November 27, 2010