Maple Sugar Candied Slab Bacon With Melted Onions And Apple Chutney

Maple Sugar Candied Slab Bacon With Melted Onions And Apple Chutney
3 (5 ratings)
In honor of National Bacon Lover’s Day on August 20th, Michael Yaffe, head chef at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s VUE 24 restaurant, has concocted a delicious new recipe that will drive bacon lovers crazy. 
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 3 pound skin on pork belly (rinsed) patted dry
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon curing salt
  • 2 tablespoon coriander
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup maple sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon pink peppercorn
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • flat leaf italian parsley sprigs
  • 3 large spanish onions
  • 1/2 cup chardonnay
  • 1 pound unsalted butter
  • 5 braeburn apples medium diced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
Directions
  1. Combine salts, brown sugar, paprika, coriander, and brown sugar together in bowl. Slowly add the honey and mix well.
  2. Take mixture and rub pork belly all over. Then, place the pork in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for 5 days. After 5 days, remove pork from bag and place on sheet pan. Refrigerate for 2 more days uncovered.
  3. Place pork in a smoker set temperature 165 degrees and smoke for 4 hours. Cool completely, then slice to 1/4 inch thick pieces.
  4. To serve, stir in 1 teaspoon of butter to 1/4 cup melted onions and 1/4 cup apple chutney.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the bacon. Place the pork in a cold cast iron pan, move over a medium flame and slowly render the pork fat for 5 -7 minutes. Next, turn it over and add the maple syrup, sherry vinegar, maple sugar, and cook for 3 minutes till pork bacon has been glazed and slightly sticky.
  6. Plate the chutney, melted onion and maple bacon on a plate before garnishing with freshly cracked pink peppercorns, thyme and parsley.
  7. Slice onions paper-thin with a mandolin or knife.
  8. In a medium sized pan, add butter. Once melted, add onions cook for 10 minutes without stirring.
  9. Next, add the white wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
  10. Stir onion mixture, then cook for another 15 minutes until the onions are completely tender.
  11. In a medium sized pan, add oil and apples and cook for about 1 minute. Add vinegar, sugar, and mustard and cook till tender .