Say hello to pork belly pizza; and it'll be difficult to ever say goodbye.
I've had my fair share of restaurant-style pork belly, whether on steam buns at Momofuku DC or in a piping hot bowl of ramen. Whole Foods' local meat offerings prompted a riskier Saturday routine: slow roasting pork belly until perfectly tender with a crackled caramelized crust. Though the finished product could stand alone or spotlight Asian-inspired dishes, I opted for an appetizer-style pork belly pizza.
The starter stole the hearts of every house guest -- I should have prepped three more pies.
Do not feel intimidated by the time frame for this show-stopping summer pork belly pizza. Enjoy the process!
Makes 6-8 servings
1 whole wheat "thin and crispy" pizza crust 1 peach, sliced 2 cups fresh arugula 4 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella 2 garlic cloves, roasted 1 2 lb. pork belly, skin-on 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided Sea salt and black pepper
1. Prior to roasting, remove pork belly from paper packaging. Score pork belly skin and sprinkle sea salt generously over pork (skin side up). Leave uncovered to dry out for 2-6 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place pork belly on a roasting pan and massage 2 tablespoon olive oil into skin. Roast for 1 1/2-2 hours in oven. Then, turn up heat to 400 degrees to crackle and crisp skin for approximately 45 minutes. Remove pork belly and allow to cool on roasting pan for at least 30 minutes. Leave oven on 400 degrees.
2. Place pizza crust on a baking pan. Drizzle olive oil on base of pizza crust and top with fresh arugula and roasted garlic. Tear mozzarella into pieces and place over arugula. Arrange peach slices throughout.
4. With a sharp knife, cut pork belly (against the grain) into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange 8-10 slices on pizza. Save the rest for a homemade fried rice topper or bacon breakfast substitute.
5. Place pizza crust in 400-degree oven for 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Slice and serve immediately.
This post is brought to you by Whole Foods Germantown. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!