Recipe for Italian Pork Belly Carpaccio

Black Smoke 2 is the new book by BBQ masters Jord Althuizen and Kasper Stuart, packed with dishes served in their popular Black Smoke restaurants in Rotterdam and Antwerp. From a BBQ dessert to an Italian pork belly carpaccio like this one, Jord and Kasper show you how it’s done. And as they would say in Rotterdam: less talk, more BBQ!

Mise en place

• For the basic brine, briefly bring half of the water and the remaining ingredients to a boil until all the salt has dissolved. Add the remaining water and let the brine cool completely. Add the pork belly and make sure it is fully submerged. Brine the pork belly for 12 hours. Remove the pork belly from the brine and pat it very dry. Prepare a BBQ with a lid for indirect smoking and heat it to 120 °C.
• For the Italian Pork Rub, combine all the ingredients in a mortar, crush them finely and thoroughly season the pork belly all over with the mixture.
• Add the wood chunks to the glowing coals. Place the seasoned pork belly on the BBQ and smoke for 3–4 hours, until the pork belly reaches an internal temperature of 72 °C.
• For the best result, place the pork belly under pressure in the refrigerator and let it cool.

Finishing

• Mix the radicchio with the finely sliced fennel and a few sprigs of the fronds. Stir in a little apple cider vinegar, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and set aside.
• Using a meat slicer or a razor-sharp knife, cut the pork belly into paper-thin slices and divide them among four plates. Bring to room temperature.
• For the Nutty Butter Vinaigrette, heat the butter in a skillet or pan and gradually let it get hotter. Let the butter stop foaming, then heat it briefly a little further until you see it starting to brown. Strain the browned butter to remove any burnt proteins.
• Toast the hazelnuts in the pan until toasted. Add the strained butter, along with the juice and grated zest of the lemon.
• Divide the radicchio and fennel over the pork belly on the plates and finish by spooning the Nutty Butter Vinaigrette over the plates.

Title: Black Smoke 2
Author: Jord Althuizen and Kasper Stuart
Price: €32,50
Publisher: Kosmos Uitgevers

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