I have a dish for you pork lovers – Sweet Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly. An indulgent dish for grown-ups, nicely sweet, smoky spicy and laced with liquor!

Ooh this is a good one folks, a true guilty pleasure. 

 

Sweet Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly by Diverse Dinners

 

Sweet Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly is definitely one to share. One slice makes for a great appetizer all by itself, placed on a small plate doused in its sauce. Alternatively, serve on a bed of rice, cut into chunks with a side of veggies for balance.

I used pre-cut slices of Berkshire pork. Berkshire pork is my favorite, it’s very tasty, naturally reared, and the cuts are very meaty. However, you can use any kind of pork belly that you can get your hands, it’s a great dish no matter the variety of pork.

Sweet Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly is marinated overnight in adobo sauce, honey, sherry vinegar, Mezcal and salt. Later, the pork belly is cooked until the edges of each piece of meat is charred. Finally, a sauce is created and then poured over the pork belly and served immediately. Delicious – right?

 

Sweet and Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly by Diverse Dinners

 

I was inspired by this dish after eating brunch at at Bagatelle. A French restaurant in the Meatpacking District in New York.

Bagatelle is a great place to celebrate, if you have the moola to spare. If you go, get yourself some champagne and wait for the shades to lower. Its crazy fun!  Surprisingly, bottle service is an event in of itself so pay attention. I cannot remember the last time I saw so many people spending so much money on fun in the afternoon. It’s rather alarming.

 

https://youtu.be/YZoYu1kdKtw

 

But I digress, let’s get back to the Sweet Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly.

I must admit, this hits the emergency scale on the cholesterol meter. However, I think you will agree that although it may not be good for the body, it is certainly good for the soul.

If you have friends who would swat you out of their lives if you served them a hearty piece of Sweet Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly. Rather than risking hearing rumors accusing you of trying to derail their happy health-conscious lifestyles, you can convert this dish into a type of amuse bouche, and serve a slither on a decorative spoon sitting in its sauce. Trust me, they’ll love it to0.

 

Print Recipe

Sweet Spicy Mezcal Pork Belly

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork belly slices

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp adobo sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp Mezcal
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Sweet and Spicy Sauce

  • 1 tbsp adobo sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp Mezcal
  • 1/4 cup vegetable stock

Equipment & Utensils

  • Large resealable bag
  • Baking tray or tin with at least 2 inch lip
  • Saucepan

Instructions

  • Combine marinade ingredients and whisk thoroughly.
  • Place pork belly slices in resealable bag, side by side, and then pour marinade over meat.
  • Gently massage marinade into meat, seal and place in fridge overnight.
  • Place pork belly into baking tray, allowing at least an inch of space around each piece of meat.
  • Place in a preheated oven at 380 and cook for two hours, turning each piece of meat after one hour of cooking.
  • Drain melted fat as required.
  • Once pork belly slices are charred around the edges, remove from oven and allow to rest.
  • Place adobo sauce, honey and butter in a saucepan and place on medium-high heat
  • Stir until butter has melted.
  • Add Mezcal and vegetable stock and cook until liquor scent has faded.
  • Sauce should be hot now, allow sauce to reduce by one third.
  • Serve pork belly as required and cover with appropriate amount of sauce.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

I used the adobo sauce that comes with canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.