Pig N Porridge

Served in a coconut milk porridge and garnished with delicious herbs, crushed peanuts and fresh pickled veggies, Chef Brandon Parson, Executive Chef of Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, OR, has created "Pig 'N Porridge," which will have you hogging the serving bowl.  For that extra McCormick kick, Chef Parsons combines the taste of our ground cinnamon, Chinese five spice and pure vanilla extract, along with chicken stock and cardamom, creating a well-flavored rice porridge perfect for pork.

Ingredients

Procedure

For the Rice Porridge:

1. Bring the chicken stock, cardamom, allspice and pure vanilla extract to a boil.
2. Add rice and return to a boil once more before reducing heat to low and then allow it to simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed almost entirely.
3. Fluff the rice with a fork or spatula and add coconut milk and sugar.
4. Allow it so simmer on low until the porridge reaches the desired thickness.

For the Braised Pork Belly:

1. Add molasses, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic and Chinese five spice in a bag and combine.
2. Season the pork liberally with sea salt (1/2 teaspoon) and McCormick pure ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon) before placing it into the bag to marinate overnight.
3. (Note: For the best results, be sure to get as much air out of the bag before sealing.)
4. Preheat oven to 375F.
5. Remove the pork from the bag and pat it dry to remove moisture and let it sit for a short time to reach room temperature.
6. Sear the pork on all sides in a Dutch oven. Remove the meat and set aside.
7. Save a small amount of the fat in the pan and caramelize the Cipollini onions. Once the onions are soft, add sliced garlic, fresh oregano and whole bay leaves and deglaze with a small amount of the lager beer (1 cup), before returning pork to the cooking vessel.
8. Add the fish sauce and then carefully add just enough of an equal mixture of lager and cola to cover the braise.
9. Bring to a boil, cover and place the vessel in the oven for 2 hours, until nearly tender.
10. Uncover and finish at the same temperature for another hour until fork tender.
11. Remove from the oven and allow the pork to cool in the braise overnight for the best results.
12. Remove pork from braise and cut it into 4 (6 ounce) portions.
13. Place the meat, fat side up in a broiler for about 2 minutes until crisp.

For Assembly:

1. Serve the pork belly in a bowl with porridge and garnish with cilantro, mint, radish, pickled carrots and jalapeno and roasted peanuts.