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KITCHEN
2 minutes , then remove immediately to an ice water bath . Once cooled , seal the pork belly and herbs in vacuum-pack bags .
Tip : If you don ’ t have a vacuum sealer , braise the pork in 3 litres of chicken stock , 500ml of white wine , 1 bay leaf , fresh herbs and 5 ml / 1 tsp salt for about four hours at 300 – 325˚F .
Photo by Ian McCausland
In this issue ’ s Test Kitchen , Chef Joel Lamoureux brings sous vide cooking techniques to the masses , with a sumptuous pork belly , baked fagioli and fennel side dish . Sous vide is a French cooking technique meaning “ under vacuum .” Cooking meat in a vacuumsealed bag for long periods at low temperatures retains flavour and moisture that is lost in most other techniques . For more information about sous vide cooking , go to www . banvilleandjones . com / cellar . aspx . Sommeliers Mike Muirhead , Sylvia Jansen , and Gary Hewitt weigh in on the perfect wine pairings to this meal on page 49 .
THE MEAL Ventre di maiale arosto ( Roasted Pork Belly Sous Vide with Baked Fagioli ) 2-1kg centre cut pieces pork belly ( preferably a younger , leaner cut ) Vacuum sealer and bags 2 sprigs each of fresh sage , thyme , rosemary 15ml / 1 tbsp canola oil Salt mixture ( recipe follows ) 15ml / 1tbsp white truffle oil ( optional )
Salt mixture : In a food processor , add 15g / 1tbsp whole black peppercorns , 2 bay leafs , 6 cloves of garlic ( unpeeled ), fresh thyme , sage , and rosemary . Pulse until you have a paste . Add 600g of kosher salt and pulse until you have an even , aromatic salt mixture . Keep refrigerated .
Trim off excess fat on the inside of the pork belly . Lay skin-side down and cover generously with salt mixture . Let the meat cure for about 4 – 5 hours , then rinse with cold running water . Blanch pork in boiling water for
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the bags of pork . Place a grill or inverted plate in the bottom of the pot to ensure the bags do not melt on contact with the metal bottom . Bring pot to a temperature of 79 – 80˚C / 174˚F and place the sous vide pork into the water . Stirring occasionally will keep the water at a constant temperature ( the biggest challenge !). Avoid the danger zone 4 – 60˚C / 40 – 140˚F ; this is the ideal environment for bacteria .
Cook for a minimum of 6 – 8 hours ( for specific cooking times , see www . banvilleandjones . com / cellar . aspx ). Once cooked , open the bag , pat the pork dry with a tea towel , and discard the herbs . Heat canola oil in a non-stick skillet and sear the pork on low heat . Press the pork flat with a heavy pan to prevent it from curling up . Sear slowly , allowing a crispy crust to form . Once the pork is nicely seared , finish in a 375˚F oven for 15 – 20 minutes to warm through ; slice and serve . To finish , garnish pork with truffle oil and fried sage .
Baked Fagioli 500g / 2 cups dried cannellini beans 15g / 1 tbsp fresh sage , chopped 1 bay leaf ( if using dried beans ) 50g / 1 / 4 cup sun-dried tomatoes , sliced 45 ml / 3 tbsp olive oil 75g / 5 tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese , enough to cover Salt and pepper to taste
To prepare , soak dried beans in water overnight . Drain and rinse . Add a bay leaf , sage and cover with cold water . Add 5g of salt for every litre of water used to cover the beans . Cook slowly on medium-low heat , without boiling , for about 1 hour until fork tender . Avoid boiling the beans , as this will split the skin and you will end up with soggy beans . Once cooked , strain and toss in a bowl with salt , pepper , sun-dried tomatoes , sage , and olive oil . Place in a baking dish and cover generously with
Continued on page 49
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