Pork Belly Bites Over
Whipped Sweet Potato with Sentiments

(recipe serving size: 10-12 pieces)

For the pork belly:

1 1/4 lb pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes (roughly 10-12 pieces)

1 cup orange juice

1 cup chicken stock

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

10-15 sprigs fresh thyme

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tb olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat in an oven-safe pot. Add the onion and garlic and brown for 2-3 minutes, stirring to keep the onion and garlic from burning. Season the onion and garlic with the oregano, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes and cracked black pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the pork belly to the pot and toss with the onions and garlic. Pour in the orange juice and chicken stock along with the fresh thyme and salt. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Transfer the entire pot to the oven and cook for about 2 hours.

Remove the lid and cook in the oven for another 1/2 hour, uncovered. Transfer the pot to the stove and cook the liquid down over medium heat until the braising liquid has reduced further and thickened (15-30 minutes).

For the sweet potato:

1 large sweet potato

1/4 cup heavy cream

Pinch of salt

Poke holes in the sweet potato with a fork. Wrap the potato in foil and bake in the oven along with the pork belly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the potato is fork tender.

Once the potato has cooled slightly, remove the skin and place the potato in a high-sided bowl. Smash the potato first with a fork. Stream in the heavy cream and whip with a whisk or process in a food processor until smooth but can still hold shape when scooped. Season with salt to taste.

Bringing it all together:

Sentiments

10-12 cilantro leaves

2 tb honey

Crushed red pepper flakes for garnish and heat

Line a long plate with dollops of the whipped sweet potato, measuring about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons per small mound. Gently place a piece of pork belly onto each dollop of sweet potato and drizzle with honey. Lay a cilantro leaf across the top of each piece of pork belly and spoon 6-8 Sentiments pearls onto each leaf.

Garnish with the crushed red pepper flakes and serve while warm.