Pork Belly BLT with Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

Name: Pork Belly BLT with Cherry Tomatoes Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, stems removed, quartered; Kosher salt; Black pepper; 1/2 pound pork belly, sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces; 8 slices bread, toasted; Mayonnaise; 8 leaves green lettuce (iceberg, Romaine, green leaf)

Let's say you want a BLT, except it's not quite peak tomato season and you only have a slab of raw pork belly, not bacon. That's the terrible dilemma I faced this week when I was struck with an uncontrollable urge for a BLT, but without all the ingredients to execute it flawlessly. Was that going to stop me? Of course not. I just had to get creative.

While I lacked big red tomatoes to slice, I was flush with little cherry ones. Instead of leaving them whole, I took a trick from Kenji's recent pico de gallo post: the small tomatoes are chopped, tossed with salt, and left in a colander for 20 minutes. Water is drawn out and they intensify in flavor.

Any dreams of thick slabs of succulent pork belly disappeared once I realized how long it would take to render all that fat. I didn't have three hours to dedicate to the slow roasting process. Fortunately, I remembered that I've used pork belly in some quick stir-fry recipes before. All I needed to do was slice the pork belly very thin and cook it until well browned.

The result is an amped up BLT experience, one that feels a little saltier and more unhinged. It's not necessarily better, but the mix of textures provides a different experience for BLT aficionados like me.

Pork Belly BLT with Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

Prep 10 mins

Cook 10 mins

Active 30 mins

Draining Time 10 mins

Total 30 mins

Serves 4 servings

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1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, stems removed, quartered
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1/2 pound pork belly, sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
8 slices bread, toasted
Mayonnaise
8 leaves green lettuce (iceberg, Romaine, green leaf)

Season cherry tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and toss in a strainer or colander set over a bowl. Let drain for at least 20 minutes. Discard liquid in the bowl.
Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork belly with salt and pepper and cook, flipping often, until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Construct the sandwiches: Spread an even layer of mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Divide the lettuce, pork belly slices, and cherry tomatoes evenly on 4 of the slices, and then top each with a slice of bread, mayonnaise-side down. Serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
402	Calories
24g	Fat
27g	Carbs
18g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	402
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g	31%
Saturated Fat 6g	32%
Cholesterol 54mg	18%
Sodium 545mg	24%
Total Carbohydrate 27g	10%
Dietary Fiber 2g	9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 10mg	52%
Calcium 97mg	7%
Iron 2mg	14%
Potassium 391mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.