Piadina with Shredded Pork Belly and Green Chili Sauce
Serves 8
MAKE THE GREEN CHILI SAUCE
- 1 lb poblano chiles
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ½ jalapeño, seeded
- Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400° F. Toss the poblanos in 1 Tbsp of olive oil and arrange in one layer on a baking sheet. Roast in oven for about 15 minutes, or until the skin of the peppers is blistered and, in spots, blackened. Slip the seeds, stems, and loosened skin off peppers and discard. Place the peeled peppers in a food processor and pulse until they are combined but still chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Add salt and adjust seasoning, if needed.
MAKE PORK BELLY
- ½ pork belly (approximately 6-7 pounds)
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp sambal chili paste
- Chicken stock to cover
Preheat oven to 325°F. Wash, dry, and trim pork belly. Place in a large, deep roasting pan and add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and chili paste. Cover with chicken stock, and place in oven for 3 hours. Remove from braising liquid and allow pork belly to cool. Once cool, flip belly over onto skin side, and begin to strip away fat and separate the belly meat. Shred meat to desired thickness, place in bowl, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Reserve.
MAKE THE PIADINA
- 1/3 cup lard (or olive oil)
- 4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp soda bicarbonate
- ½ cup water (room temperature)
- Sea salt
While the pork belly is cooking, make the piadina. In a small skillet, melt lard and set aside. Sift flour onto a clean surface, and make a well in the center. Slowly add melted lard (or oil) along with the remaining ingredients to the center of the well, and incorporate the flour by gradually mixing in the dry ingredients from the walls of the well (as you would when making pasta). When the dough is formed, continue to knead it for approximately 10 minutes; the dough should be elastic and smooth (not sticky). Wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
BAKE THE PIADINA
Cut the dough into 6 to 8 pieces, then roll each piece into a very thin disk. Heat the cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the piadina and let cook about 10 seconds on each side, then prick with a fork, and cook through for 3 to 4 additional minutes. As you cook, stack finished piadinas on a plate, and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
ASSEMBLE THE DISH
- Green chili sauce
- ¼ head of red cabbage, shredded
- ½ cup mascarpone
Place piadina on a plate, top with shredded pork belly, green chili sauce, shredded cabbage, and cheese.
Julia Sexton is a New York-based restaurant critic, food writer, and CRMA Award-winning blogger. She herself has never purchased a cast-iron skillet. Instead, she uses three that she inherited and one that she apropriated from a friend whose cooking didn’t merit such a beautiful cast-iron skillet.
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