We had the pleasure of working with Chef Joey Holtgreven of Level 7 Rooftop Bar and he was kind enough to share the recipe for his Cheerwine Braised Cheshire Pork Belly! Two North Carolina products in one meal? We’re sold. This tender and delicious pork belly is paired with a Cheerwine gastrique and salsa verde making it the perfect dish that hits every note on your palate. Enjoy! 

Cheerwine Braised Cheshire Pork Belly

Cheerwine Gastrique, Salsa Verde, Pickled Pico de Gallo

Pork Belly Rub

• ¾ tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 lemon zested
• ¾ tsp course black pepper
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
• ½ tsp Malden
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp sugar in the raw

1. Add all ingredients together & mix until evenly combined

Pork Belly Recipe

• 1 full slab of Cheshire Pork Belly, skin off.
• 1 cup Pork Belly Rub
• 12 tbsp Malden
• 6ea 20oz cheerwine soda bottles
• 4ea Bay leafs
• 6ea Garlic Cloves

1. Take pork belly & trim off excess fat & pound out thicker areas to make even with rest of the belly. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut belly into four even sections. Then score the fat cap side in a diamond pattern. Take Malden & rub in between diamond cut & all over. Three tablespoons of Malden for each section.
3. Place one piece in a cold sauté pan fat side down & place over medium heat. Very important to start in cold pan & not a hot one. Render fat down & caramelize the fat the fat cap until golden & very crispy. About 14-16 minutes. Repeat with remaining pork belly pieces
4. Once pork belly is caramelized, coat meat side with pork belly rub. Place pork belly on a roasting rack & then in a roasting pan. Add garlic, bay leafs & cheerwine. Saving one bottle to the side. Fill pan up right to the fat cap. Do not submerge. Place roasting pan on oven range on medium heat until brought to a boil.
5. Once Cheerwine has come to a boil, place roasting pan in oven. Roasted for two hours uncovered. One hour in, add remaining cheerwine bottle to the batch.
6. Pull pork belly from oven & let rest outside of roasting pan for 25 minutes. Save braising liquid. Then portion in 3-4oz slabs.

Cheerwine Gastrique

• Braising liquid from pork belly
• 4oz corn starch
• 4oz water

1. Separate fat from braising liquid & discard.
2. Mix water & corn starch for a slurry.
3. Bring braising liquid to a bowl & slowly whisk in slurry. Bring sauce down to a simmer & simmer for 5 minutes to cook out the starch.

SALSA VERDE

ï 1 BUNCH CILANTRO

• 5 EA Garlic cloves

ï 3 EA JALAPENO DESEEDED

ï 3 EA PABLANO PEPPER

ï 2 EA ROMA TOMATO HALVED

ï 4 EA TOMATILLOS, HUSKED AND STEM REMOVED

ï 1 EA YELLOW ONION HALVED

ï 1 TSP SALT

ï 1 1/2 TSP WHITE VINEGAR

1. Place peppers, onion & tomatoes in the broiler & cook until charred. 400 degrees F.
2. Ones roasted off, place all ingredients in a blender & mix until very smooth.

Pickled Pico De Gallo

ï 1 EA RED ONION

ï 2 EA CARROTS SLICED

ï 1.2 LBS RADISH SLICED

ï 3 EA JALAPENO SLICED

ï 2 CUPS RED WINE VIEGAR

ï 1 BUNCH CILANTRO

1. JULIANNE RED ONION

2. SLICE CARROTS AND RADISH ON MANDOLINE TO THE THICKNESS OF A Nickle

3. SLICE JALAPENO WITH KNIFE KEEPING CIRCLE SHAPE. THICKNESS OF A Nickle

4. CHOP UP CILANTRO AND COMBINE ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS AND STORE

For complete assembly

1. Take 1oz of Cheerwine Gastrique & sauce a plate of your choosing. Slice the Cheshire Pork Belly & place of Gastrique.
2. Glaze the salsa verde over the pork & place 2 tablespoons of the pickled pico de gallo on top of pork & enjoy.
3.