Sous Vide Pork Belly Bites

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork belly
• 1 clove garlic, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

1. Fill a pot with water and attach your immersion circulator. Set it to 158 degrees F if you want firmer, steak-like pieces, or 170 degrees F if you’re after very tender, melt-in-your-mouth bites, then let the water heat.
2. Put the pork belly in a freezer safe gallon sized plastic bag with the slivered garlic, soy sauce, and sriracha. To seal it with as little air as possible, use the water-displacement method: slowly ease the bag into the water so the water pressure pushes the air up and out of the opening. When the top of the bag is at the water line and the air has been forced out, close the bag. You can do this while the water is heating, just be careful if it is already steaming. Rest the sealed bag on a kitchen towel until the water is ready.
3. When the water reaches temperature, place the sealed pork belly bag in the pot. Check that the pork belly is fully under the water so it cooks evenly. Cook for 12 hours, covering the pot with foil or plastic wrap to reduce evaporation, and adding more water if the level drops too far. At the end of the cooking time, lift the bag from the water and switch off the circulator.
4. Chill the pork belly in the refrigerator for at least an hour. At this stage, it can also stay refrigerated for up to 3 days before serving. It should be completely cold, with the fat firmed in the bag, so trimming is easier.
5. Take the cold pork belly out of the bag. Trim away any hanging fatty bits and thin edges, leaving an even, clean rectangle of pork belly with a consistent thickness.
6. Cut the pork belly into strips about 1/2 inch thick, then cut those strips into bite-sized pieces about 1 1/2 inches long. Thread the bites onto skewers through the rind, from top to bottom, so the broadest sides will touch the grill.
7. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat, about 500 degrees F, or hot enough that you can hold your hand 1 inch above the grates for only 1 to 2 seconds. Scrub the grates very well, then use tongs to wipe them with an oil-soaked paper towel. While the grill heats, stir the glaze together in a bowl.
8. Place the pork belly bites over direct heat and brush them with glaze. Put the lid down and grill for 2 to 3 minutes on a gas grill, or 1 to 2 minutes on charcoal, until the bottom has crisp sear marks.
9. Turn the bites over, brush on more glaze, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or 1 to 2 minutes on charcoal. Transfer them to a platter and give them a light final brush of glaze.
10. Sprinkle the warm pork belly bites with sesame seeds and serve with toothpicks.