Honey-glazed pork belly

1kg pork belly in a single piece, 60g coarse salt, 40g sugar, the peel of 1 lemon, the peel of 1 orange, aromatic herbs (laurel, sage, rosemary, thyme and wild fennel), 1 tablespoon chestnut honey, 2 bunches of chicory, 1 anchovy fillet and 1 unpeeled garlic clove.

For the squash purée:  200g butternut squash, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 shallot, 50g butter, vegetable broth and salt as needed.

Sweet and sour onions:  1 onion, 1 level tablespoon coarse salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 shallot, 80g apple vinegar and 1 tablespoon refined sugar.

Directions: 

Place the pork belly in a pan and cover with the coarse salt, sugar, chopped aromatic herbs and the lemon and orange peels without the white interior. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

Cut the onion into quarters, separate the layers and remove the tissues then place in a small colander over a cup to flush out with salt and sugar for around an hour. Rinse with cold water, dry well and put the onions in a freezer bag and let marinate with the remaining sugar and the apple vinegar in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Sauté the shallot in a pan with the butter and when it is soft add the squash, which has been cut into pieces, and the turmeric and cook at a low heat with a ladle of broth. Blend and strain when done.

Clean and then boil the chicory in water seasoned with the salt and sugar for around 10 minutes then drain. Sauté the garlic clove in a broad pan with two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and the anchovy fillet and then add the chicory and cook at a low heat for around 15 minutes.

Take the pork belly out from the marinade and dry it well. Cut the meat into four pieces of equal size and weight and place in a pan with the rind side up. Add a glass of water, cover with aluminum foil and bake for three hours in an oven pre-heated to 160°C. When done take the pieces of pork out and dry them well with paper towels before brushing them on the rind side with the honey that has been diluted into two tablespoons of hot water. Broil the meat for 4-5 minutes until the outside is crispy. (If you have the right equipment you can cook the meat seal-wrapped in a thermostatic oven at 80°C for 8 hours and then, after drying, complete cooking by grilling the traditional way.

Serve the pork on flat plates on top of the squash purée with the chicory on the side and garnished with the sweet and sour onions and crumbled crispy bacon.

Wine to pair: 

Brunello di Montalcino Tenute Silvio Nardi 

Intense ruby red color with garnet highlights. Clean, intense and complex aromas, rich in evolved overtones, with hints of anise, ripe wild berries and a light touch of vanilla. Warm with supple tannins, great structure, good length and considerable aging capacity.

Production area: various vineyards located in the municipality of Montalcino with north-west/ south- east exposure at approximately 350 meters of altitude. Soil composition: jasper and shale

Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese. Training system: spurred cordon with 5.500 plants/ha.

Wine-making: manual harvest in cases in the second half of October. Fermentation and maceration for at least 20 days, based on the lot, at a controlled temperature of <30°C. Maturation for 12 months in new and used French oak barrique (Allier), followed by 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels. Then bottle aged for at least six months.

Serving temperature: 16-18°C.