STICKY BALSAMIC RECIPES

Steps:

• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt. Stir together with rosemary, brown sugar, vinegar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub evenly all over ribs and transfer to roasting pans. Marinate, chilled, 8 to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
• Pour 1/2 cup water into each roasting pan and tightly cover pans with foil. Roast ribs, switching position of pans halfway through, until meat is very tender, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove pans from oven and transfer ribs to a platter.
• Add 1 cup hot water to each roasting pan and scrape up brown bits. Skim off and discard fat, then transfer liquid to a 10-inch skillet. Add vinegar and brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes.
• Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .
• Brush some of glaze onto both sides of racks of ribs. Grill, turning occasionally, until ribs are hot and grill marks appear, about 6 minutes.
• Brush ribs with more glaze and serve remaining glaze on the side.
• Artezin Mendocino Zinfandel '07 or Château de Chamirey Mercurey Rouge '07

Steps:

• Ask your butcher to cut your pork belly rind in a criss-cross pattern or do it yourself. Pat rind dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub seasoning into skin, working it in between the cuts.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and place pork, skin side down, into the hot oil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the skin has crisped up slightly and the cuts open.
• Place the pork, skin side up in your slow cooker or a roasting dish.
• Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Pour marinade over the pork belly and spoon over, making sure that you pour it into the open cuts.
• Place lid on slow cooker or cover roasting tray with foil. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low in your slow cooker, or for 4 hours at 130° C in your oven.
• Spoon the marinade oven the meat every hour or so, if you are home but this isn’t essential.
• When cooked, remove the meat from the marinade and rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
• You can reduce the marinade in a saucepan and drizzle over the meat if you desire, but I find that it has enough flavor without that. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.