Have a cozy night in with pork belly and roasted corn risotto

This soul-warming pork belly and roasted corn risotto is perfect for a cozy winter's night in. Photo: New West KnifeWorks.

PARK CITY, Utah — With these freezing temps, a warm comforting home-cooked meal is something to look forward to, like this pork belly and roasted corn risotto. New West KnifeWorks’ 9″ Chef Knife, 5″ Chopper, or 8″ Western Chef Knife, are versatile kitchen heavyweights that will go from scoring the pork belly fat with ease to slicing and dicing your veggies like a master chef.

These and many other power-hitting Chef Knives can be found in person at New West KnifeWorks at 625 Main Street, in Park City.

Pork Belly and Roasted Sweet Corn Risotto — Serves 4

Ingredients:

Pork Belly:

1 lb. pork belly

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1Tbs of honey

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup white wine

3 Tbs dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp ground juniper

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

Roasted Corn Risotto:

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup corn cut from the cob (frozen is fine in a pinch)

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup white wine

2 quarts low sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt/pepper to taste

Note: You may have unused stock in the risotto recipe. That’s okay. Just put it in a container and save for another use. Exact measurements of liquid for risotto are difficult to state in advance. 

Steps:

Pork Belly 

Score the top, fat side of the pork belly with multiple slashes in an x pattern. Try not to go all the way down to the flesh.

Over medium high heat, add the onion and garlic to a large skillet with a lid or a dutch oven. Cook for 2 minutes until translucent and fragrant.

Add the vinegar and white wine to the pan and reduce for 3 minutes.

Place the pork belly, scored side up into the pan.

Add the stock until comes halfway up the pork belly, the scored fat still exposed.

Add the mustard, honey, red pepper flakes and juniper.

Bring to a boil.

Cover with the lid and place in the 325ºF oven for 90 minutes.

After 90 minutes, increase the heat to 400ºF, remove the lid from the pan and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.  (This is when you should start the risotto.)

Remove the pork belly from the pan and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Reserve the braising liquid as a sauce.

When ready to plate, slice the pork belly into 1/4” thick slices, and place atop the risotto.

Spoon some braising liquid over the top.

Roasted Corn Risotto

Add the stock to a large sauce pot over high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low

In a separate large skillet or sauce pot add the corn and a little olive oil over high heat.

Cover with a lid and cook for 7-10 minutes, shaking the pan every so often, until all of the corn is a deep golden brown.

Combine the corn and a ladleful of the hot stock in a blender and blend until very smooth, set aside.

Over medium-high heat, in the sauce pot used for the corn, add the minced shallot and the olive oil, and stir, about a minute, until fragrant.

Add the arborio rice and a few pinches of fresh pepper.

Toast the rice, pepper and shallots in the pan, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes.

Add the white wine, and start a timer for 22 minutes. Stir continuously until the wine is fully reduced.

Add two ladlefuls of stock, and stir continuously fully absorbed.

Repeat this step of adding stock, stirring and reducing until the 22 minutes are up.

Taste the risotto. If still too firm, add another ladleful of stock and stir/reduce as before.

Add the blended corn/stock mixture, and stir.

Add the grated parmesan, stir, and season with salt to taste.

Plate immediately. Top the risotto with the sliced pork belly and braising liquid.