I’m a complete Magpie.
Anything that’s interesting or shining and I’m gone…even kitchen foil can put me in a trance.
Same goes for food, if it looks odd or slightly quirky I’m sucked straight in – it could be Camels balls or Eagle knuckles I’m the dude that’ll have it bought and paid for then find himself standing in his kitchen 2 hours later wondering why the fuck did I buy these Squirrel tails!?

This inquisitiveness usually pays off pretty good culinary dividends for me and in the case of today’s blog it was an out and out winner!

This is a pork belly dish – now pork belly usually demands a long slow cook, as it’s a tough bugger of a cook – not the case with the pretty thinly cut and trimmed piece of porker. The trick to this one is seriously violent grilling or broiling if you one of my American brethren – see you in Boston in a couple of weeks by the way – and teh addition of white wine vinegar as a marinade agent.

Serves 2

6 thinly cut slices of pork belly

2 tps dried basil
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tps cracked black pepper
4 cloves crushed garlic
3-4 good lugs of quality olive oil

The addition of white wine vinegar, as an acid therefore a cooking agent will help tenderise the pork belly so kick off by mixing all of the marinade ingredients together cover the pork belly then cling n’ sling in the fridge for a day.

I’m an early bird so I do this before I head off to work in the morning and it’s ready to groove when I get home when there’s open mouths to be fed!

To cook set the belly fat side up under the grill and as close to the heat as possible – you want shock and awe on the pork when it gets in there so you end up with seriously rendered, crispy fat and moist white meat.

When the skin is crispy and on point then flip it on its side and finish off – 2-3 minutes each side and your good to go. Serve the belly in strips as above or you can cube it up as dainty nibble but make sure you serve this bad boy with a crisp salad for cut through!