Asian Inspired Hoisin Pork Belly Sandwich
I like to get take out for either breakfast or lunch. That has not been good for me, so I decided to start making lunch at home. In my retirement, and with my chronic insomnia, I oftentimes do not fall asleep till dawn and wake up about 11:00 am. I have gotten very tired of the usual lunch sandwich: pb&j or processed lunch meat extravaganza. Don't get me wrong, I love blackberry, strawberry and raspberry jam with peanut butter and honey, and I love a slammin salami sandwich, but not every day for the rest of my life. I have rice with scrambled egg and leftover chicken or whatever protein we'd had with dinner the night before, and the same with ramen. Even that gets boring. So I have decided to put my foodie knowledge to work to make lunch proteins (not necessarily meats) to spruce up lunchtime. Shall we start with Hoisin Pork Belly?
Let's get to it, shall we?
Ingredients
1 package of pork belly (about 1.5 pounds)
salt and pepper
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 shoyu (Soy sauce)
2 rounded tablespoons minced garlic
2 rounded tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Lime or Lemon Juice - a splash
Pork Belly Spice Rub
2 rounded tablespoons smoked Paprikia
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon thyme
1 rounded tablespoons cumin seed or, ground cumin
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
Due to the smaller size of my skillets, I halve my pork belly. I score both sides, as shown above and in further photos.
I always start with the black pepper rub first. I do not know why, I just do. Don't mind me. Carry on. Just be sure to get the spice blend into every cut and crevice, the sides, top and bottom, front and back.
Sear each side about seven minutes.
Once the rub has been finished, set it aside for about thirty minutes; longer if you need to or can. The longer, the better.
BTW: Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Have the minced garlic and onion on hand in a smallish bowl. As the pork belly sears, the seasoning rub and the pork will become quite aromatic!
Add a splash of lime or lemon juice, soy sauce, and the Hoisin sauce to the aromatics bowl and stir the onion and garlic into the sauces thoroughly. Let it sit for several minutes so the flavors can marry.
Add a good splash of shoyu after the pork belly halves have been flipped. Flip again in about three minutes. The top and bottom crust will begin to darken due to the sauce caramelizing. This is a very good thing!
Sear the pork belly with the shoyu about five-to-seven minutes per side again.
I truly apologize, but there are no more photos after this part-way through cooking photo. I had cleaning tasks to do, dishes to do, laundry and dogs to walk and wrangle. Forgive me, because the last part makes the entire dish insanely delectable and so aromatic you will smell it in your dreams.
Remove the pork belly or halves.
Use a spoon or a spatula and slather the hoisin and aromatics paste over the top and bottom. Return the pork belly or the halves to the skillet over no heat. IF your skillet is oven safe, place the skillet into the oven for 40-minutes. IF not, spray the bottom of a pan to finish off the cooking.
20 minutes in to the 40 minute oven time, flip the pork belly. Let it finish untouched now, till the timer goes off. You will see how the sauce has caramelized and crusted the pork. This is perfect, although it might be difficult cleaning the pan or skillet later on!
Allow the pork to rest, about ten minutes or more. Slice the pork thinly so you can make sandwiches out of it! The thinner the slices, the more sandwiches you can make, including leftovers! The flavor on the crust, the tender center of the pork will make you want more and more! 
Again, I am sorry for not having any finished up photos. Forgive me. BUT! Make this recipe and share YOUR finished up and/or sandwiches photos with me!!! That'd be so AWEsome!
As usual, friends, I am truly grateful for your visit and your time and consideration. Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love! ❤
~Martin
In-House Cook
