Smoked cured pork belly

poitrine fumée

What it is

Brine first, smoke second: the belly takes salt in a cure, then hangs over beech, oak or fruitwood — cold-smoked below 30 °C for aroma alone, hot-smoked above 60 °C when the smoke is meant to cook it too. The smoke once did the work of a dry cellar in a wet climate; now it is only flavour, and the loudest one in the pot.

In the kitchen

Blanch the lardons two minutes in boiling water before frying if the dish is delicate — it takes the harshest edge off the smoke and the salt and leaves the rest. Never do this to pancetta.

Goes with

Potato Savoy cabbage Onion Cream Egg Puy lentil Leek Button mushroom

Same species

Andouillette Boudin blanc Natural casings Caul fat Chorizo Ciauscolo

Also used with

Fiddlehead fern Field mushroom Gaperon Blond lentil Maple sugar Mont d’Or

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