Black Canary Pork Belly Recipe

Óscar Dayas Rodríguez won the Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy for the Iberian and Mediterranean region.

20 May, 2021

serves for

ingredients

Pork belly

2 kg

Lemon zest

Herbs

Water

2.5 L

Dark soy sauce

0.5 L

Sesame oil

0.1 L

Maple syrup

0.2 L

For the mashed sweet potatos

Sweet potatoes

0.5 Kg

Butter

150 g

Óscar Dayas Rodríguez chose this dish because it mixes local products with techniques influenced by different parts of the world.

"It’s a very simple dish to make and with a perfect balance of flavours (salty, sweet, sour and with bitter touches). My philosophy as a chef is marked by always working to highlight the local product, but, at the same time, by using French and Asian techniques. It's 'zero kilometre' food, but without turning our backs on the world. In addition, I used the yellow sweet potato as I did with my dish for the competition since it's one of my favourite ingredients," he says.

"My dish is directly related to my region in its ingredients. The black canary pork is a unique breed, and the local vegetables and honey are from my own harvest. This dish is a version of a plate that my mother used to make on special occasions with roasted pork and roasted sweet potato - a dish directly related to sharing with the family."

Step 01

Photo: Óscar Dayas Rodríguez

For the pork belly:

Cut it into pieces of approximately 10x15 cm.

Introduce the pork belly on a pot with water, the soy sauce, the maple syrup and the sesame oil and cook it at maximum heat until boiling. At this moment, turn the heat down to ¾ of the power and cook it without letting the water boil for 90 minutes (or for the oven, at 100º C for 4 hours - in this case, we use a metal oven-safe pot with a top). Let the pork belly stand in the broth for 6 to 8 hours.

For the sauce
Strain the broth from the cooking of the pork belly and reduce it at high heat until it has the texture of a sauce.

Step 02

Photo: Óscar Dayas Rodríguez

Cut the pork belly into cubes of 5x5 cm and prick the skin.

Sear the pork belly in a non-stick pan on the side of the skin until it’s golden brown, and cook it in the oven at 180º for 4 minutes.

Step 03

Photo: Óscar Dayas Rodríguez

For the mashed sweet potatoes:

Cook the sweet potatoes in plenty of boiling water, without the skin, until 'al dente'. Put the sweet potatoes and the butter in a food processor and process until you get a uniform and smooth mash, and season to taste.