By starting with a low cooking temperature and then switching to a high one, Rick Gencarelli of Lardo, in Portland, Oregon, ensures a pork belly with perfect texture. The low temp slowly renders out the fat without making the fibers tough, and a higher finish adds a beautiful brown sheen. Use this technique when cooking any pork belly.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless pork belly
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1⁄2 tbsp. dried marjoram
- 1⁄2 tbsp. dried rosemary
- 1⁄2 tbsp. dried thyme
- 1⁄2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1⁄2 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1⁄4 tsp. za'atar
- 1 shallot, sliced 1/4" thick
- 1⁄4 cup plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1⁄4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. plus 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1⁄2 tsp. minced oregano
- 1 small cucumber (one-quarter grated and squeezed dry, three-quarters thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. sumac
- 1⁄2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 plum tomato, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 preserved lemon rind, minced
- 2 9" pocket pitas, halved
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Instructions
Step 1
Heat oven to 275°. Place pork belly on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Mix garlic powder, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, 1⁄2 tbsp. black pepper, the cumin, and za'atar in a bowl; rub on pork belly. Roast 40 minutes. Increase oven to 375°; roast 40 minutes more. Let cool; slice into 1⁄2″ strips. Heat an 8″ cast-iron skillet over high; cook shallot until charred, 10–12 minutes, and let cool. Stir shallot, the yogurt, sour cream, 1 tsp. lemon juice, the oregano, grated cucumber, salt, and pepper in a bowl; set tzatziki aside. Combine sliced cucumber, sugar, 1 tsp. salt, and the sumac in a bowl; let sit 10 minutes, then toss with remaining ingredients. To assemble sandwiches, stuff pitas with pork belly, tzatziki, and cucumber and lettuce mixture.
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