# 40 hour project...



## davebug (Dec 7, 2013)

It took 40 hours and it was worth every second. This was my latest sous vide dinner project porchetta sous vide and then fried to crisp the skin. Started by picking up a section of pork belly from my favorite butcher, who was kind enough to sell me a slab from anywhere on the belly that I wanted. I chose a section that still had the ribs and meat attached then boned out the ribs and left behind the rib meat. I then scored the inside and rubbed in a mixture of thyme, sage, garlic, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper. I rolled and tied it up into a log. The outside was rubbed with salt and baking powder. I placed it in a vacuum bag and added a few sprigs of rosemary sealed it up and vacuumed all the air out, then let it hang out in the fridge for a day or so. 

After the rest period it was time to cook, so I fired up a water bath set to 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the water reached its temp I dropped the pork in added a couple weights to make sure it stayed down and walked away. Then the waiting game, a couple times a day I would check the water level and add more as needed, and make sure it didn't shake my weights and float to the top. 

Around 40 hours later it was almost time to eat. Time for this project was not super critical it had some play, I had started it around midnight a day and a half earlier. I think it could have cooked for another 5 hours or 5 hours less with the same results. I pulled the pork and dunked it into a ice bath to chill and set all my gelatinized juices. While that was happening I heated a pot of peanut oil to 400 degrees F. I removed the pork from the bag and scraped all the gelatin from the bag and the pork and added it to a small sauce pan to make a sauce. I used some paper towels to finish drying the outside of the pork a little and then plunged it into the hot oil. I used enough oil to come about half way up the side of the pork and then used a ladle to poor hot oil over the rest of the pork until it was golden brown and crispy.

The sauce was simply the gelatinized juices from the bag and some vegetable stock and then strained to remove the rosemary and any chunks of undissolved fat. I put a spoonful over each slice of pork and served it with redskin mashed potato's and green beans with caramelized onions. We poured a nice crisp brut champagne to help cut though the rich meal.

Reactions: Like 7


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## Kevin (Dec 7, 2013)

That sounds amazing. I could use a plate of that right now! 

I'm not a trained chef so I have to ask why the baking powder?

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## davebug (Dec 7, 2013)

It's a alkaline which is supposed to help make the skin crispier and more tender, or so I have read in many books anyway. 

Thanks It was crazy good the inside rib meat had a completely different flavor then the outside whiter meat both where fork tender. The skin was super crisp and the fat was wonderful spread over some crusty bread. Not a healthy meal by any means but a nice treat that was super rich, I thought as I sliced it do I want one or two slices, I figured I could come back for a second which I did not because it was very filling.

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## woodtickgreg (Dec 7, 2013)

Oh now you go and cook something amazing. If I had known you where going to do that I would not have left NY so soon!
Sounds yummy and I bet my doctor would not approve.

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## rdnkmedic (Dec 7, 2013)

I had a hot dog for supper. And a beer.........


That looks amazing.

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## Kevin (Dec 7, 2013)

rdnkmedic said:


> I had a hot dog for supper. And a beer............



And you do what for a living?

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## woodtickgreg (Dec 7, 2013)

Kevin said:


> And you do what for a living?


He's a nutritionist and a sponsor in AA.

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## davebug (Dec 7, 2013)

Haha Greg I do some thing decadent like that ever couple weeks. You are welcome for dinner next time you are out here. I remember you saying you like burgers we can sous vide them to any temp you like and still get a great sear too.

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## Brink (Dec 8, 2013)

Dang that looks good!


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## Kenbo (Dec 8, 2013)

That sounds and looks sooooooooo good.


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## barry richardson (Dec 8, 2013)

As Emeril says, "pork fat rules"! I saw that technique somewhere for making steaks, sounds neat, but I'd have the "mean hungries" if I had to wait 40 hours to eat it


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## Kevin (Dec 8, 2013)

barry richardson said:


> As Emeril says, "pork fat rules"! I saw that technique somewhere for making steaks, sounds neat, but I'd have the "mean hungries" if I had to wait 40 hours to eat it



Barry, I think the full recipe involves additional instructions such as . . . _ "While the pork is chilling, grill your marinated steaks . . . . "_


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## davebug (Dec 8, 2013)

barry richardson said:


> As Emeril says, "pork fat rules"! I saw that technique somewhere for making steaks, sounds neat, but I'd have the "mean hungries" if I had to wait 40 hours to eat it


 
Yep I do steaks like that too, luckily they only need 45 min to 2 hours depending on the type of steak and thickness. Pop em out of the bag and sear them up and you are done, no meat to worry about while you are making sides and what not.

The one good thing about the long cook time is that you do not smell it. Where as for Christmas when I start my cassoulet it takes many many hours of cooking on the stove top and oven, with wonderful smelling things like duck confit. As far as Emeril I agree pork fat rules, while rather fatty pork rules, but I think duck fat is the king of animal fats.


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