Bacon-Wrapped Bacon
From Chef Lorna for Caché Seattle, cacheseattle.com
3 lbs. pork belly, skin on, cut into 20 pieces (each approximately 1 ½" x 1" x 3")
3-inch knob of ginger, sliced into a few pieces
4 scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 oz. brown sugar
½ cup rice wine
1½ cups soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 quart chicken stock
4 whole star anise
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
20 thin-cut strips of bacon
wooden toothpicks
Put first 10 ingredients in a large wok or pan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2½ hours, or until pork belly is tender. Transfer pork to a plate.
Once sauce has cooled, skim off solidified fat and then strain, discarding the star anise, scallions, and ginger. Add the hoisin sauce; stir to dissolve. Over medium heat, reduce the sauce until thick (approximately 45 minutes). You should end up with about 1¼ cups of intensely flavored, dark reddish-brown sauce.
Place each piece of pork belly, skin side up, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Wrap a strip of bacon around each piece of pork belly, and then secure with a toothpick. (Soak the toothpicks in water beforehand so they won't burn in the oven.)
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the bacon crisps.
Remove the tray from the oven, transfer a few pieces to plates, and spoon some sauce on top. Serve hot. Put the rest in the refrigerator and reheat for Sunday-afternoon football. This recipe requires too much work to make only two appetizers.