Smoked Pork Belly Mac ‘n’ CheeseMeris Resources2017-10-26T15:18:03-04:00

Smoked Pork Belly Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Presented by Black & Blue

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb. smoked pork belly, cubed (small dice)
• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
• Parsley for garnish

Sauce:

• 4 oz. cheddar cheese
• 4 oz. Gruyere cheese
• 1 1/2 qt. heavy cream

Roux:

• Rendered pork belly fat
• Flour, equal in amount to the fat

DIRECTIONS

Sauté pork belly until crispy. Remove pork belly from pan and reserve the fat for roux. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Cover to keep warm.

For the sauce: To make the roux, place the fat in a medium sauté pan. Over medium-low heat, gradually whisk in the flour. Stir continuously as the mixture cooks. Continue cooking 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside. Shred cheese and melt in a large saucepan over low heat. Gradually add cream and stir until blended. Whisk in the roux gradually in batches as needed, starting with a third of the mixture. (Not all the roux may be needed.) Continue stirring until the sauce thickens to your liking. (It should fully coat the back of a spoon.) Add more roux if the sauce is too thin. Pour over the pasta, garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

NOTE: The amount of pasta may be adjusted to make the dish more or less saucy.

(Serves 6)