Pork Belly

Does anyone know where I can get uncurred pork belly? Checked a few places today and no luck.

Can't answer your question - but I had pork belly for the first time recently and DID NOT like it, and this was at an upscale restaurant in Chicago owned by Michael Jordan. Albeit, the entire dining experience was sub standard, I would guess this is what pork belly itself tastes like. Blech! What am I missing? It was lump of blubber in a reduction sauce, with some sort of mint puree. It could have been covered by truffles and caviar and still been yucky. I love fois gras and escargot, which were both aquired tastes, so is this the same deal? I also recently tried a chicharrones thing (can't seem to recall - the masa fried cake thing, covered with meats and toppings... lemme try to search the name of the thing...) sopes, that's the thing. Anyway, the fried pork skins were not my jam, but I did like the meat inside. And of couse the accoutrements.

I've had it several times done very well and it can be delicious.

Mark would this be the same thing that menudo is made from? It is called tripe in English i think, but i have always known it as the stomach lining.

Becky - I've had menudo and it's definitely not the same thing. That's another meat that I don't care for. I thought it was very stinky. I had it at one the taquerias on Preston. I loved everything else about the soup and they served it to me spicy. I actually ate most of it in spite of the tripe, that's how good it was. Lots of fresh chiles, lime and cilantro if my memmory serves me. Whenever I go to Ernestos (pretty much the only chain I go to on a fairly regular basis - I know, I know, everybody thinks it's the worst mexican restaurant in Louisville, but I like it), I get the Xichotle (sp?) soup, and I like it a lot. Again, tons of fresh ingredients (impressive amount of avacado) with chicken and rice and a light broth.

Mark - I'll have to give it another try. I hated fois gras and escargot the first times I tried them. Now I crave them like a mad woman. As far as a resource for pork belly, I'd bet that if you send a pm to a couple of chefs on here that may not be reading this forum, they could send you in the right direction.

Mark, to find your uncured pork belly, you might try talking to one of the farmers that brings his/her pork products to one of our many farmers' markets. This is how I was able to run down lamb liver.

Mark, to find your uncured pork belly, you might try talking to one of the farmers that brings his/her pork products to one of our many farmers' markets. This is how I was able to run down lamb liver.

You love lamb liver, Gayle! I've gotta try it some day.

becky, being italian, we ate tripe at my house once a week. very weird looking stuff with the honey combs pattern. mom made it in red sauce. of course i had to eat it. i haven't had it since i was a kid.

I can't imagine being a kid forced to eat tripe. In my house growing up, we went vegetarian and my mom baked two eggplants for my sister and I, cut off the tops, and stuck spoons in them. We went to bed without dinner to prove we weren't into it. (To her defense, once we actually went upstairs, she called us back down for real food). So, would you eat tripe today? Personally, I LOVE eggplant.

Mark would this be the same thing that menudo is made from? It is called tripe in English i think, but i have always known it as the stomach lining.

Pork belly is essentially whole slabs of fresh uncured bacon. Tripe is stomach...a definite difference.

Easy one ... Chicago Board of Trade ... they sell them every day, but I never heard of anyone taking delivery...

Does anyone know where I can get uncurred pork belly? Checked a few places today and no luck.

Not sure how much trouble your willing to go to but Jungle Jim's might be an option.

[Robin Garr]

Mark, sorry I'm late coming to this. The larger Asian markets should have uncured pork belly, although it may be sliced rather than whole. I know I've gotten some at the place at the corner of Preston and Gilmore Lane, near Koreana II. Chances are good that Choi's in Lyndon would have it, too.

You might check with Dreamcatcher - no pork belly listed on the product list, but perhaps Stan can round some up for you. . .

There is a butcher shop in Bardstown that has it. The name escapes me, I bought some there a few months ago. If I remember Ill be sure to post.

Thanks everyone for the input....off to the Asian markets and possibly a road trip to Bardstown. When I was a kid on the farm in Eastern KY every fall this stuff was easy to find.