SV pork belly with homemade bao... and other stuff

CarolinaCrazy

caliking said:

@CarolinaCrazy - any tips for making the pork belly?

@Canugghead - Thanks for the compliment After I put the plates on the table, SWMBO asked me if I was finished taking pictures before she put a fork on my plate. It was late and we were starving, but she knows I'm a food geek. So happy that I married her!

This online version is nearly identical to the Momofuku cookbook version - I've made the cookbook version a couple times. The last time, I did it in the egg. I did it with no smoking wood. I cooked it for an hour at 450˚, and then just shut down the egg to just a crack (almost completely closed) and let to go for about another hour and a half. It was perfect.

I dont do SV (yet!), but I have to think that roasting the whole time will give a more authentic taste. I'd love to try them head to head!

Little Steven

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

@saltysam- just remember- if you dig through the ice in Henapple's cooler and feel a hand (or worse), don't fret, it's just Little Steven. It's best just to let him finish.

Hah! The beer will be gone if I'm on the inside.

caliking

@CarolinaCrazy - I'll try that sometime. How big was the belly? A whole side, cut pieces, or pieces like the ones I had?

Little Steven said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

@saltysam- just remember- if you dig through the ice in Henapple's cooler and feel a hand (or worse), don't fret, it's just Little Steven. It's best just to let him finish.

Hah! The beer will be gone if I'm on the inside.

Uh-oh. It's Stefaan's alter ego posting now...

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Little Steven said:

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

@saltysam- just remember- if you dig through the ice in Henapple's cooler and feel a hand (or worse), don't fret, it's just Little Steven. It's best just to let him finish.

Hah! The beer will be gone if I'm on the inside.

Yep- that is the cue to move along to the next cooler. This one is spoken for.

Little Steven

I think the mods eliminated all of my comments that were of little or no value

caliking

Little Steven said:

I think the mods eliminated all of my comments that were of little or no value

Nope. They missed a bunch. Your count still says 300+ 

Little Steven

I guess you will be here all week. I'll tip my waitress and order the veal Piccata. Budadudadudathwump.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

304 now. Where are those mods????

JIC, can you handle this for us?

caliking

You're dead to me.

CarolinaCrazy

caliking said:

@CarolinaCrazy - I'll try that sometime. How big was the belly? A whole side, cut pieces, or pieces like the ones I had?

Not sure how big yours were, but I like ~2# pieces - the are manageable size and good surface area to size ratio.

I like buying locally raised meat, but unfortunately the local bellies I've gotten have a much higher fat to meat ratio than ideal. I may have to go back to the commercially raised bellies I can get at the Asian market. They are beautiful.

 

Solson005

Looks great as always Cali! Glad to see your still cooking outside the box! =D>

caliking

@Solson005 - howdy, bud! Thanks. Long time no see Hope things are well with you.

@CarolinaCrazy - I had 2 strips of belly ~10" long x 1.5" wide x 1.5" thick. I don't recall the weight, but maybe 1# each. These were form a local Asian supermarket, and I was pleasantly surprised with how meaty they were. 

Solson005

Things are great! Still cooking away a few times a week outside. I've had a couple of posts, but there is so much traffic now they get to page 2 or 3 way too fast. It takes longer for me to get the pictures in the post, than the life of the post. Haha (not a bad thing, it's great there are so many eggheads) plus work is crazy..