Slo Cooker Beer-Infused Pork Belly

By á-167595

4 servings

Ingredients

• 2-2 1/2 pounds pork belly
• 22 oz. stout
• 1-2 cups pork or chicken stock
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds, ground

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare pork belly by using a sharp knife to score a diamond pattern into the skin.

Combine stout, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt, cloves, mustard seeds in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer just until salt and sugar are completely dissolved.

Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Place pork into a large re-sealable bag (or a large pot with a cover) and pour cooled beer mixture into the bag.

Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24, flipping occasionally to distribute brine.

Remove meat from brine (reserve the brine), rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and (cutting pork into smaller pieces, if necessary) sear meat on all sides. Note: once you place the meat down, don’t move it. You want to get a good char and moving it around prevents that from happening.

Remove from heat and let rest until cool.

Pour 1 cup reserved brine mixture (strained), apple cider vinegar and brown sugar into the slow cooker and stir to dissolve. Then transfer pork to slow cooker. Note: pork should not be fully submerged in liquids.

Carefully add pork stock until pork is 1/4-1/2 submerged, then turn on LOW and cook for 6-8 hours (or until internal temperature reaches 160º F).

Transfer to serving plates, garnish with fresh herbs and serve with roasted veggies or potatoes. Optional: you can sear meat again (with another 2 tablespoons olive oil) after cooking in the slow cooker, if you want to get an even crispier outer crust.