Agave-Glazed Pork Belly with Grilled Pineapple

Name: Agave-Glazed Pork Belly with Grilled Pineapple
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1 4-pound pork belly (with or without rib bones); 1 4 teaspoons kosher salt plus more; 1 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper plus more; 1 6 poblano chiles, stemmed, coarsely chopped; 1 3 habanero chiles, stemmed, sliced into 1/4" rounds; 1 3 serrano chiles, stemmed, chopped; 1 1 cup agave syrup (nectar), divided; 1 Vegetable oil; 1 1 ripe pineapple (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2" rounds; 1 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 "Ingredient info: All chiles are available at better supermarkets; 1 farmers markets; 1 and Latin markets. Agave syrup (nectar) is available at better supermarkets and natural foods stores."

From the kitchen of Carly

Slow-roasted pork belly becomes impossibly tender over seven hours, bathed in agave and a trinity of chiles that build heat and depth. Charred pineapple cuts the richness with bright, smoky sweetness. This is restaurant-level showstopping made manageable at home.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

11 4-pound pork belly (with or without rib bones)
14 teaspoons kosher salt plus more
12 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper plus more
16 poblano chiles, stemmed, coarsely chopped
13 habanero chiles, stemmed, sliced into 1/4" rounds
13 serrano chiles, stemmed, chopped
11 cup agave syrup (nectar), divided
1Vegetable oil
11 ripe pineapple (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2" rounds
11/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1"Ingredient info: All chiles are available at better supermarkets
1farmers markets
1and Latin markets. Agave syrup (nectar) is available at better supermarkets and natural foods stores."

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°F. Season pork belly all over with 4 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
Place chiles in a large roasting pan. Place pork belly, skin side down, on top of chiles; drizzle with 1/2 cup agave. Pour remaining 1/2 cup agave and 2 cups water into pan. Cover pan tightly with lid or two layers of foil.
Transfer to oven and cook pork for 3 hours, basting with pan juices every hour. Turn pork over. Cook until very tender, about 4 more hours.
Transfer pork to another roasting pan (if bone-in, remove and discard bones). Strain liquid from first roasting pan into a saucepan (there should be about 5 1/2 cups); reserve chiles. Gently boil juices until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, 45-50 minutes; add reserved chiles. Remove pan from heat. Let glaze cool; chill.
Meanwhile, cover pork with parchment or waxed paper. Top with a large plate. Place weights, such as large canned goods, on top. Chill overnight.
Reheat glaze. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill pineapple until nicely charred, 2-3 minutes per side; place on plates.
Let grill cool to medium heat. Slice pork belly into 1"-thick pieces. Grill until warmed and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Brush pork with some of the glaze from chile sauce.
To serve, place 2 or 3 pineapple slices on each plate; spoon glaze over, then top with pork belly. Drizzle with vinegar.