Bellies are not just for bacon!! First try at confit! With Q-view!! Money shot!!!!!

[fpnmf]

My heart clogs just reading this recipe!!

It is a Ruhlman recipe...http://leitesculinaria.com/5723/recipes-pork-belly-confit.html  

I was making bacon today and thought I would give it a try!!

It has a pretty long brine/cure/cook time..about 35 days!!

Here's the pics!

The victim..5 pounds.

Put a ziplock full of water to keep them submerged, dated it, then the lid and into the fridge.

I will be posting the next step in a few days!

  Craig

BTW...the Woman has reminded me that it is a French dish and called "Confee" not con fit. hehehehehehe

 

[venture]

The confit just sounds like flavor for me.

Let the good times roll!

None of us is going to live forever.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[jak757]

I think you will love it.  Pork bellies are just plain delicious nearly any way you cook them.  Confit is a cooking technique that is often used with duck, but you can confit many things.  It's basically poaching in oil.  

Looking forward to hearing how you like it.  Good for you for stepping out there and trying something different!

 

[meateater]

I'm keeping an eye on this one. 

 

[raptor700]

My neighbor the

 Baconater!

 

[pops6927]

Don't forget, the three stages of belly are:

fresh pork belly (sidepork)

cured pork belly (SALT PORK)

cured and smoked pork belly (bacon)

Salt pork is great unto itself; cook in beans or greens or a lot of things!

 

[SmokinAl]

Interesting, will be following this.

 

[tjohnson]

I'm in for a look too

Todd

 

[cinderella]

I need to keep an eye on what you are up to, each step of the way. I just found two #7 pieces of pork belly in the back of my basement freezer that I put in there over the Christmas holidays when I ran out of time to work on them. I make duck confit a couple of times a year,  but never considered any kind of pork confit. Thanks for the Leites link; I cruise over there a lot.

 

[venture]

I wouldn't watch Craig too closely.  He can get crazy on us.

Then he makes us hungry!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[fpnmf]

Update!!

Thanks for the nice comments folks...

Found out several important things in the past few days.

Rendered duck fat is not available here.  Well..maybe for 61 bucks delivered from Chefs Warehouse.

Then...store bought rendered pork fat..lard.. is not good anymore..it's hydrogenated...google it..not good.

Soooo  then I found out that chunks of pork fat   ..  back fat and leaf fat (fat around the kidneys) is not available in stores that have butcher shops.

I was at the local country store asking where I might find this item and a customer sez..." You need to go to Smiths...they just processed a few hogs for me and I don't want the fat or the heads". They butcher hogs Moday only.

They dont answer the phone at Smiths ..so off I went to find it. 40 miles to get there..it is waaayy out in the woods.

Sign on the door sez..."We aint here,blow the horn and we will be there in a few". Blew the horn and sure enough the gent comes across the road and asks what I want. Told him I wanted 25 pounds of pork fat..He made a funny look at me and said come along. The slaughter house is old. Very cool place. He opens the door to the walk in and there hangs about 20 fresh butchered hogs. Smelled great!

He ducks down and starts moving stuff around in what looks like a watering trough full of plastic bags,. Pulls out a bag and sez here ya go its about 30 pounds..... I say whooo hooo how much??  He sez nuthing..bring me a 12 pack next visit. 

Spent a few hours cutting the fat off the skin and cutting up the big chunks of just fat.

Then I had 2 pans of 5 pounds each.. Put the 12 inch D.O. on the outside propane stove ...put 5 pounds in and added a couple cups pf water and am now rendering. It looks great!

Tomorrow I will do the first section of the confit cook.

Whew..this is my longest post..

 Craig

Wheeeeeee!!!!

 

[venture]

What could I get if I sent you a 12 pack?

Pick your brand?

Just don't say virgins?

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[raptor700]

Nice score neighbor, 

I had a few hogs butchered there several years ago and found out they are in my family tree, Imagine that!

Bring on the Heart attack (confit) 

 

[fpnmf]

Nice score neighbor, 

I had a few hogs butchered there several years ago and found out they are in my family tree, Imagine that!

Bring on the Heart attack (confit) 

You kinda look like him..

I liked the old slaughter house..

  Craig
 

 

[chef jimmyj]

This works with Pork Butt as well...I thought it was Awesome! The family thought it way TOO fatty...I had to eat it myself...JJ

 

[raptor700]

You kinda look like him..

I liked the old slaughter house..

  Craig
 

  

   Next time we break bread together, I have a funny story to tell ya. 

 

[fpnmf]

This works with Pork Butt as well...I thought it was Awesome! The family thought it way TOO fatty...I had to eat it myself...JJ

My recollection is thats how  Michoacan   carnitas are made...

MMMMMMM Pork...mmmmmmm

 

[venture]

That confit is "somewhat" stable stuff?

Anybody need my address?

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[bobbygee]

Very kool slaughter house story.Gotta love a vender who accepts beer as payment!

 

[fpnmf]

It takes 5 pounds of fat to make 2 quarts of lard.

That big bag of parts and fat makes about one and one half gallons of lard.

I remember and have read a good bit that real lard is better for us than butter and makes many things, like fried chicken and baking products much better..

Going to start the next confit step this morning.

Have a great day!!

  Craig