Crispy Pork Belly Al...Crispy Pork Belly Al Pastor with Charred Pineapple Gel & Coriander Emulsion

A refined, Michelin-worthy elevation of the classic Al Pastor. Succulent, slow-braised pork belly pressed and seared to crispy perfection, paired with a smoky-sweet pineapple fluid gel and a vibrant herb emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the Al Pastor marinade, rehydrate the guajillo and ancho chilies in hot water for 15 minutes. Toast the garlic in a dry pan until slightly charred. Blend the rehydrated chilies, achiote paste, garlic, apple cider vinegar, Mexican oregano, and a pinch of salt until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois.

2. 02

   Coat the pork belly in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight). Place the pork belly and marinade in a deep baking dish, pour in the chicken stock, cover tightly with foil, and braise at 130°C (265°F) for 3 hours until extremely tender.

3. 03

   Carefully remove the pork belly from the liquid, place it between two sheets of parchment paper, and weigh it down with a heavy tray in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to compress and flatten. Strain and reserve the braising liquid for glaze reduction.

4. 04

   For the Charred Pineapple Gel, grill the pineapple slices over open flame or high heat until deeply caramelized and charred. Blend the pineapple flesh until smooth, pass through a fine sieve to yield 300ml of juice. Whisk in the agar-agar, bring to a boil for 1 minute, then pour into a tray to set in the fridge. Once set, blend the gel until it forms a perfectly smooth, glossy fluid gel. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

5. 05

   For the Coriander Emulsion, blanch the cilantro in boiling salted water for 10 seconds, then shock immediately in ice water. Drain and squeeze out all excess moisture. Blend with grapeseed oil at high speed for 2 minutes to extract the green chlorophyll. Strain through a coffee filter. Whisk the resulting green oil with lime juice and xanthan gum to create a stable, vibrant emulsion.

6. 06

   Portion the cold pressed pork belly into neat, uniform rectangles. Place skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet. Place over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat and render the skin to an ultra-crispy glass-like texture (about 12-15 minutes). Flip and sear the flesh sides for 2 minutes.

7. 07

   Reduce the reserved braising liquid in a saucepan until it coats the back of a spoon to form a sticky glaze. Brush the non-skin sides of the pork belly with this glaze.

8. 08

   To plate: Draw a sweep of the vibrant green coriander emulsion on the plate. Place a block of the crispy pork belly in the center. Pipe dots of the charred pineapple gel alongside, and garnish with micro-cilantro and delicate pickled red onion rings.