©2003, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.
Poitrine de porc literally means the “pig’s breast” in English, but is generally referred to as a “pork belly.” Depending on the butchering method employed, the belly will yield about 12 to 18% of the meat cut from a pig’s carcass. The belly can be described as flat layers of lean meat separated by thin layers of fat. The first layer of meat below the skin is generally lighter in color than the other layers.
Even in France, purchases of pork products from the local charcuterie have declined in recent years in favor of chicken, fish, and vegetable products. But of the classic elements of the art of charcuterie, those made of pork belly remain on the menu.
All the recipes shown on this page are made from pork belly, and all are classic preparations.
Pocher means “to poach,” the process where food is cooked in a liquid at a temperature below where the liquid boils. The liquid may be water, stock, oil, or fat. Poaching is used to slow cook tough meat so the final product is very tender.
Saler means “to salt,” the process where food is preserved by exposing it for a long period to salt. The salt causes both interstitial and intercellular water to exude from the meat. The resulting texture of the meat is decidedly more “leathery” than raw meat, and the meat may need soaking before cooking to reduce its salinity. This is a classic means of food preservation.
Saumurer means “to brine,” the process where food is preserved by exposing it for a long period to a concentrated salt solution. The salt causes both interstitial and intercellular water to exude from the meat. The resulting texture of the meat is very similar to raw meat. This is a classic means of food preservation.
Fumer means “to smoke,” the process where food is preserved by exposing it for a long period to wood smoke. In modern times, smoking is performed more for flavor than for preservation, so the time the meat is smoked has been reduced from one to two weeks to six to 24 hours. Smoking may be done over “cold” smoke so the meat remains raw during smoking, or over “hot” smoke so the meat is cooked while it is smoking. Most commercially smoked meats are hot smoked.
Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan barely large enough to hold the meat, over medium heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides. Add the carrot, onion, and bay leaf. Cook for a few minutes more.
Add the stock to the saucepan. Cover the saucepan and place in the oven. Bake for 90 minutes, until the meat is easily pierced with a fork.
Blanch the cabbage in boiling, salted water for a couple of minutes. Drain. Chill the cabbage in an ice bath. Drain well. Slice cabbage into shreds. Set aside.
Remove the meat from the saucepan and keep warm. Reduce the stock over high heat until thickened. Strain. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a frying pan. Reheat the cabbage in the butter.
Cut the meat into 6 square pieces, about 75 grams each. Season with the salt and pepper. Set aside to macerate in the refrigerator overnight.
Melt the fat in a small saucepan over medium heat. The saucepan should be just large enough to hold the meat in a single layer. When the fat begins to bubble, add the meat. (It’s best to place the meat so the skin is neither flat on the bottom of the pan or exposed on the surface.) Lower the heat, cover the saucepan, and cook the pork until tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain the pork pieces on a rack.
Place the fatback and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt the fat slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
Add half the fresh pork and cook until it exudes a bit of juice, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the remainder of the fresh pork and cook until it also exudes a bit of juice, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the smoked pork and continue cooking while stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes.
Cover the meat with a circle of parchment paper with a hole cut in its center. Lower the heat and cover the saucepan. Cook for a couple of hours over very low heat. The fat should be bubbling very lightly.
Add the wine, salt, and pepper and stir well to combine. Continue cooking for another 2 hours or so, until the meat separates into fibers when lightly pressed.
Using a strainer, drain the meats. Separate the juice from the fat. Reserve the fat. Stir the meat with a spatula to flake the meat. Reheat the meat juice and reduce if there is more than a few tablespoons. Add the meat and stir to blend.
Off the heat, blend some of the reserved fat into the meat mixture until it reaches a speadable consistency. Stir the mixture until it cools to about 50 °C (120 °F). Pack the mixture into a 350-gram terrine. Level the top.
When the terrine cools to room temperature, reheat the reserved fat to liquefy it and pour a thin layer over the top of the meat to create a seal. Cover the terrine with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Prepare the brine with proportions as shown in sufficient quantity to cover the meat. If the meat is greater than about 21/2 cm (1") thick, inject the meat with some brine, about 10% by weight. Place the meat in a non-reactive container and cover with brine. Weight the meat slightly to keep it immersed. Brine for 3 to 5 nights, depending on the thickness.
On the final day, rinse the meat and pat dry with absorbent paper. Arrange on racks in the refrigerator and dry overnight.
Cold smoke the pork for 6 to 8 hours at 55 °C (130 °F) or less.
Cool the meat to room temperature before refrigerating.
Combine the salts, sugar, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and juniper berries. Rub the meat with the salt mixture. Place a layer of the salt mixture in the bottom of a non-reactive container. Place the pork on top of the salt and pack the remaining salt around the pork.
Refrigerate for 4 days for each inch of thickness of the pork. Note: the pork will exude liquid that will collect in the bottom of the container.
When the curing time is complete, rinse the meat thoroughly, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until needed.
Cook the pork strips in a large frying pan over low heat. Allow sufficient time for much of the fat to melt from the pork. Add the garlic and cook briefly.
Place the oil and the bacon in a small frying pan and cook over medium heat until browned. Pour the hot mixture over the cabbage and toss to mix.