Grilled Pork Belly

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless pork belly
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup mirin
Sea salt and white pepper
1 cup beef stock
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
Vegetable oil for coating grill or pan

How to Cook:

• Cut pork belly into pieces about 3-inches square. Thinly slice each piece into squares no more than 1/4-inch thick. (Partly freezing the pork belly will make it easier to slice.)

• Combine soy sauce, mirin, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Place pork in the bowl, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes but preferably overnight.

• In a small saucepan, bring stock to a simmer. Add mushrooms, turn off heat and steep 30 minutes. Strain out mushrooms, and save for other use. Add honey and 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the stock. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until reduced by half. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook a few minutes longer, until thickened. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

• Remove pork from refrigerator. Heat a grill or grill pan and brush with vegetable oil. Place pork slices on grill and cook, turning every 4 minutes or so, until well seared and caramelized at the edges, about 20 minutes’ total cooking time. Add remaining sesame oil to the marinade, add the squash, set aside 5 minutes, then place on the grill, turning, until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

• Serve it and enjoy..