Spanish-Style Migas with Chorizo, Peppers, and Kale

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pork belly, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and smashed
• 4 ounces Spanish dry-cured chorizo, preferably younger and more tender, sliced into rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 Anaheim pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 4 ounces lacinato kale, tough stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces stale, hearty bread, crusts removed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pimentón dulce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 to 4 crispy fried eggs, optional

Directions

1. Set a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, lightly salted pork belly, and smashed garlic. Cook, stirring now and then, until the pork belly has crisped and given off its fat, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chorizo and cook until lightly browned and the oil turns a rich orange, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, move the pork belly, chorizo, and garlic to a medium bowl; discard the garlic and set the bowl aside.
2. Turn the heat up to medium-high and warm the fat until it shimmers. Add the bell pepper and Anaheim pepper, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the skins are a little blistered and browned, about 3 minutes. Add the kale, lower the heat to medium, and keep cooking and stirring until the kale softens and wilts slightly, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the pork belly and chorizo. Set aside.
3. Spread the bread evenly in the skillet, drizzle the water over it, and cook, stirring often with a metal spatula so the bread picks up the oil mixture. Add salt to taste, then continue cooking, stirring and pressing the bread into smaller bits with the spatula, scraping the bottom of the skillet from time to time so nothing sticks or burns. Keep going, stirring and scraping often, until the bread has become a mix of small crumbs and 1- to 2-inch pieces, and is pale golden, crisp, and not hard, 15 to 20 minutes. If the bread starts browning too quickly, lower the heat to medium-low and add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4. Sprinkle the pimentón over the migas and stir until the bread is well coated and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the vegetable and chorizo mixture to the skillet, stir everything together, and season to taste with salt. Take the skillet off the heat. If you are adding fried eggs, spoon the migas into a serving bowl and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Wipe out the skillet and fry the eggs. Portion the migas into individual bowls, add the parsley, and top with fried eggs. Serve immediately.