"Beans and Belly" - Roast Pork Belly on Black-Eyed Peas Salad - Food Wishes

pork belly

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken thighs reduce fat while maintaining flavor.

black beans

🥗Healthier: lentils

💰Cheaper: canned beans

Lentils are lower in calories and quick to cook.

Season both sides of a 2-pound piece of pork belly with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a little cayenne.

Wrap the seasoned pork belly in parchment paper and then in two layers of foil.

Place the wrapped pork belly in a baking pan, fat side up.

Cook in a 200-degree oven for seven and a half hours.

After cooking, let the pork belly cool down and refrigerate it overnight.

Soak black-eyed peas in cold water overnight.

Drain the soaked black-eyed peas and add them to a pot of fresh cold water with 1 bay leaf and a spoon of salt.

Bring the pot to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until tender.

Drain the cooked black-eyed peas and let them sit while preparing the dressing.

In a bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, white distilled vinegar, rice vinegar, and light olive oil.

Add finely minced garlic, finely diced red onion, finely diced jalapeño, and finely diced red bell pepper to the dressing and mix well.

Add the warm black-eyed peas to the dressing along with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne; mix until combined.

Let the salad sit in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight for best results.

The next day, unwrap the pork belly and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Transfer the pork belly pieces into a dry pan set over medium heat and cook until browned and crispy on the edges, being careful not to render out too much fat.

Remove the pork belly from the pan and mix it with the black-eyed pea salad, adding freshly chopped Italian parsley for garnish.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: