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Lard five minutes in onion husks

Five-Minute Salt-Cured Pork Belly in Onion Skins

Simple and delicious! Quick-cured pork belly simmered in onion skins is something a lot of home cooks have tasted — and many have made themselves. If you haven't tried it yet, I really recommend it, especially if there's a fisherman or hunter in the family: this recipe is a lifesaver for them. Slice it onto a charcuterie board for a party (the cuts with good streaks of meat are best), or layer it into sandwiches for breakfast or a snack.

naniki

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork belly (salo)

800

Salt

Water

800

Dill

Whole peppercorns

Onion skins

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 2 % 1 g

Fats 98 % 42 g

Carbohydrates 0 % 0 g

379 kcal

GI: 0 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

Start with the pork belly (salo). Belly with good streaks of meat is ideal, but use whatever cut you like — it'll be tasty either way, just with more or less fat. You'll also need a good pile of onion skins, so you'll be peeling quite a few onions. Save the peeled onions for later — you'll have a head start on other dishes. Have your salt, spices, and plenty of garlic ready too.
Step 2:

Rinse the onion skins and pile them into a suitable pot. The pot matters: onion skins will stain the sides, and a white enamel one in particular. Use a dark nonstick (Teflon-coated) pot instead, where the yellow tint won't show.
Step 3:

Cover the skins with water and set them to simmer. As they cook gently, the skins release their color into the liquid.
Step 4:

Meanwhile, prep the pork belly: rinse it, pat it dry with paper towels, and cut it into pieces roughly 1.5 x 4 x 1 in. (about 4 x 10 x 3 cm), or sized to your slab. Just keep the pieces thin enough to cook through.
Step 5:

For spices, I used dill seed and whole black peppercorns.
Step 6:

Add the spices and the salt to the now-colored broth (it had been boiling for 10–15 minutes).
Step 7:

Lower the pork pieces into the hot broth so they're fully submerged, pressing them down with a wooden spoon. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, then cook for 5–10 minutes (again, go by the size of your pieces — don't cut them too small). When the time's up, turn off the heat and leave the pork in the liquid, covered, until it cools completely.
Step 8:

Mine had cooled by evening, so I left it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, lift the pork onto a sieve to drain, then blot it dry with paper towels.
Step 9:

Make the garlic rub: peel a couple of cloves and put them through a press.
Step 10:

Stir in a mix of freshly ground pepper, then rub the mixture all over the cured, golden pork, working it into the surface. Pack it into an airtight container and refrigerate to let the flavors set.