Bone-In Pressed Pork Belly

Procedure for the Bone-In Pork Belly:

1. With the fat side up, cross-score fat cap.
2. Season/rub with 1 Tbsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.
3. Sear scored fat-side down in stove top pan or flat griddle until you achieve a crispy golden color on the fat cap.

Procedure for the Mirepoix and Pork Belly:

1. Medium dice 1 celery stalk, 1 peeled carrot, 1/2 red onion.
2. Add 4 whole garlic cloves and 1 chopped Roma tomato.
3. Fill bottom of 1/3 steam pan or feasible sized loaf pan with mirepoix mix.
4. Add 1 cup white wine and 1 cup chicken stock salted to taste.
5. Place pork belly seared fat side up on top of vegetables. Do not let the crispy skin submerge in the liquid, while the chop should be partially submerged/braised. (This process is purposed for multiple chops or uncut pork bellies.)
6. Cover with foil and cook in the oven at 300°F for 2 hours.
7. Gently remove pork belly and allow to cool. Reserve mirepoix until service.
8. Plastic-wrap cooled pork belly. Using two similar-sized pans, place wrapped pork belly in one pan scored fat-side-up. Place the second pan on top and add weight. (I used multiple mini cast iron skillets.). Place in the cooler for 8 hours.
9. Reheat pork belly and mirepoix separately at 350°F for 8 minutes for service.

Procedure for the Sunchoke with Saffron Cream:

1. Peel 6 ozs. of sunchokes, roughly a handful, cut into even, 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Add sunchokes to a small sauce pot, cover with chicken stock, salted to taste, and 7-8 saffron pistils until submerged.
3. Boil on high heat until stock reduces by half, then slowly add heavy cream until sunchokes are submerged again.
4. Reduce heat to medium and continue simmering until sauce thickens and reduces by half again. Continue reducing for a thicker sauce or add cream as needed. Salt to taste.