Crispy Pork Belly with Curried Chickpea Purée

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A tapas-bar showstopper built on one honest shortcut: braise the pork belly in sherry, garlic and bay a day ahead, press it flat overnight, then cut it into blocks and crisp them hard in a skillet right before serving. The curried chickpea purée is a two-minute blender job — silky, warm-spiced and just loose enough to spoon under the pork. Finish with a sharp sherry-vinegar glaze and pickled red onion so the richness never sits still.

Ingredients

• 2 lb skin-on or skinless pork belly, in one slab about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• 1 cup dry sherry (fino or amontillado)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 strips orange zest, peeled wide

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tsp Madras curry powder
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Kosher salt to taste

• 1/2 cup reserved braising liquid, strained and defatted
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 small red onion, shaved paper-thin
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar (for the onion)
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• Flaky sea salt
• Smoked paprika, for dusting

Instructions

1. DAY 1 — Season the belly: Pat the pork belly completely dry. Mix the kosher salt, sweet paprika and cumin and rub it over all surfaces. Let it sit uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 300°F.
2. Sear: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Lay the belly in fat-side down and sear undisturbed for 5–6 minutes until deeply browned, then flip and sear the other side 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
3. Build the braise: Add the quartered onion and halved garlic head, cut sides down, and cook 3 minutes. Pour in the sherry and simmer 3 minutes to burn off the raw alcohol, scraping the pan. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, peppercorns and orange zest.
4. Braise: Return the belly to the pot fat-side up — the liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the slab, not cover it. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and transfer to the 300°F oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until a knife slides into the meat with no resistance but the slab still holds its shape. Do not let it fall apart.
5. Press overnight: Carefully lift the belly onto a small sheet pan or baking dish, keeping it flat. Strain the braising liquid into a container and refrigerate. Lay parchment over the belly, set a second pan or flat plate on top, and weight it with two 15-oz cans. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Skim and reserve the solid fat cap from the chilled braising liquid.
6. DAY 2 — Pickle the onion: Toss the shaved red onion with 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, the sugar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Let it sit at least 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until slack and pink.
7. Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup defatted braising liquid, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar and the honey. Simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until reduced to a syrupy 3–4 tablespoons that coats a spoon. Set aside off the heat.
8. Make the purée: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium. Cook the shallot and garlic 3–4 minutes until soft and golden at the edges. Add the curry powder and turmeric and stir 45 seconds until fragrant — do not let them scorch. Add the chickpeas and 3/4 cup broth, bring to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes.
9. Blend: Transfer the chickpea mixture to a blender with the coconut milk, lemon juice and butter. Blend on high for 60–90 seconds until completely smooth, adding broth 1 tablespoon at a time until it flows like thick pancake batter. Season with salt, return to the pan, and keep warm over the lowest heat, covered.
10. Portion the pork: Unwrap the pressed belly and trim the ragged edges square with a sharp knife. Cut it into 12 rectangles roughly 1 1/2 by 2 inches. Blot every surface bone-dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of crisping.
11. Crisp to order: Melt 1 tablespoon of the reserved pork fat in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the blocks fat-side down, not touching, and cook 4–5 minutes without moving until the surface is glassy, deep amber and audibly crisp. Turn and cook 2 minutes per remaining side, 8–10 minutes total, until hot through and browned all over. Work in two batches if needed and pour off excess fat as it renders.
12. Plate: Spoon a generous swoosh of warm curried chickpea purée onto each of six small plates. Set two pork blocks on top, crispiest side up. Brush or drizzle the sherry glaze over the pork, then finish with pickled onion, cilantro, flaky sea salt and a light dust of smoked paprika. Serve immediately, while the crust is still loud.

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