Had I not conceived of this recipe and was simply reading it, I would not be able to resist. Pork belly – gotta love a pork fat foundation! Curry – yes! Then the we arrive at the holy combination of curry and coconut milk. Add to this a beautiful suite of textures, and I am sold.
I realize that Christmas is just a few days away, and this menu and pairing has no resemblance to anything you may be considering for your Christmas feast. On the other hand, many of my friends and relatives have holiday traditions that include atypical routines for Christmas Eve and New Year’s celebrations. This may give you some inspiration for your non-traditional, er, holiday traditions.
With the principal flavors coming from the curry, cumin, and richness of the coconut milk and pork belly, the clear choice of a pairing was an off-dry white to balance the strong spices and sufficient acidity to balance the richness of the coconut milk and pork belly. In this case I chose the 2010 Bin 106 Twisted River Germany Gewürztraminer. This wine adeptly met our acidity requirements and offered intense pear and apricot flavors that complemented the dish nicely. The bright fruit and light sweetness balanced the intense flavors of the curry nicely and made for a wonderful pairing.
I don’t have much of a history with Gewürztraminer, but found that the 2010 Bin 106 Twisted River Germany Gewürztraminer lived up to my expectations of big aromas, off-dry, and intense fruit flavors. When thinking of Asian cuisine, Riesling comes to mind immediately and almost always provides a good pairing experience. I will now add Gewürztraminer to my decision process – particularly when looking for more prominent fruit flavors.
I may post again before Christmas, but if by chance I do not, I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 pounds pork belly
- 3/4 pounds pork chop (or other cut of pork - your choice)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 diced onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup (or so) chicken stock
- Japanese noodles (we used Chuka Soba, but any noodle such as rice noodles or udon noodles will work equally well
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 ounces fresh bean sprouts
- Cilantro
- Sriracha Chile Sauce
- 4 tablespoons hot madras curry powder
- 1 can coconut milk
- 4 cups julienned napa cabbage
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 dup crushed peanuts
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- Dash of fish sauce
- Green onions (2 bunches)
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
Preparation
- Heat olive oil in a braising pot or Dutch oven - sear pork belly and pork chop. Remove and reserve.
- Brown one diced onion, and 2 cups napa cabbage with cumin, ginger, and curry, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic in braising pot over medium-high heat.
- Return pork belly and pork chop to braising pot, add mushrooms and chicken stock to just below the top of the meat.
- Cover and place in preheated oven at 220 degrees F for three hours.
- Remove pork from the braising pot and set aside.
- To the braising liquid, add 1/2 red pepper (chopped), 2 cups napa cabbage, and let cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes.
- Strain liquid and put back in braising pot with coconut milk. Adjust seasoning as desired.
- In a small sauce pan, add soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, and brown sugar. Reduce by 1/2 over medium-high heat.
- Brush pork belly and pork chop with the soy reduction and place under broiler for two minutes.
- Remove pork from broiler and cut the pork belly into 3/4 inch cubes. Shred the pork chop.
- Cook noodles according to directions for the noodles you choose.
- In a large bowl, add the noodles and the strained braising liquid. Add the pork, then top with bean sprouts, green onions, julienned napa cabbage and red pepper.
- Cover bowl and let steam for five minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and peanuts, serve with sriracha chile sauce on the side.
In vino veritas, buen provecho.
Craig
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