Semi-smoked pork breast in a clay pot

Name: Semi-smoked pork breast in a clay pot - Dorina I.
Ingredients: about 1 kg of semi; smoked pork breast; 1 carrot about 150 g; 100 g of green onion (thats all I had); 1 head of garlic; 1 can of 400 g diced tomatoes in juice; salt; pepper; 50 ml of oil

Meat - Semi-smoked pork breast in a clay pot by Dorina I. - Recipia

Semi-smoked pork belly is cooked slowly, directly in a clay pot, together with carrot, onion, garlic, and diced tomatoes. The first part is done with a lid, so the piece of meat can tenderize in the steam and the juice formed in the pot. At the end, the lid is removed, and the meat is left in the oven for browning. This is a simple recipe with few steps, but it is important to consider the clay pot: it must be soaked in cold water before use and placed in a cold oven. It should not be put in a preheated oven. Quick info Preparation time: about 30 minutes for soaking the pot, plus the time needed for cleaning and cutting the ingredients Cooking time: about 2 hours Total time: about 2 hours and 30 minutes, not counting the exact preparation time of the ingredients Servings: about 4-6, depending on how large the servings are and the chosen side dish Difficulty: easy Recipe type: main dish in the oven, suitable for a family meal Ingredients 1 kg semi-smoked pork belly 1 carrot, about 150 g 100 g green onion 1 head of garlic 400 g diced tomatoes in juice, one can 50 ml oil 1 cup of water Salt Pepper Preparation method 1. Prepare the clay pot Fill the clay pot with cold water and let it soak for about 30 minutes. This step is done before putting the ingredients in it. The pot should not be heated suddenly, so you will start the cooking in a cold oven. After soaking, discard the water and use the pot for assembling the dish. 2. Cut the meat Cut the piece of semi-smoked pork belly into three pieces. Arrange them on the bottom of the clay pot in a single layer if the size of the pot allows it. Pour the 50 ml of oil over the meat. The belly is already semi-smoked, so salt should be used sparingly. You can add a little salt and pepper, adjusting the taste if necessary. 3. Prepare the vegetables Peel the carrot and slice it into rounds. Chop the green onion finely. Peel the garlic cloves but leave them whole. Put the carrot, onion, and garlic over the pieces of pork belly. There is no need to sauté the vegetables separately; they cook directly in the pot with the meat. 4. Add the water and start baking Pour a cup of water over the meat and vegetables. Place the lid on the pot. Put the pot in the cold oven, then turn on the oven to moderate heat. Let the dish cook for about 1 hour and a half. For the clay pot, it is important not to put it in a preheated oven, as the sudden temperature change can affect it. At this stage, the meat cooks covered, and the vegetables soften in the liquid from the pot. 5. Add the tomatoes After about an hour and a half, carefully remove the lid. Add the diced tomatoes in juice over the meat and vegetables. Put the pot back in the oven, this time without the lid, and let it cook for about 30 more minutes. The pieces of pork belly will brown slightly, and the tomato sauce will mix with the liquid formed during baking. In the end, check the taste and add more salt or pepper only if necessary. Keep in mind that the semi-smoked pork belly may already be salty. Why I make this recipe often It is a practical option when I have a piece of semi-smoked pork belly and want to cook it without much preparation. The ingredients go directly into the pot, and most of the cooking time is spent in the oven. The vegetables and tomatoes create a simple sauce, sufficient to accompany the meat and side dish. Additionally, the recipe can be served with potatoes or pasta, depending on what I have on hand. Tips and variations Tips Respect the soaking time of the clay pot and do not preheat the oven. These are the most important things for the correct use of the pot. The pork belly can be more or less salty, depending on how it was smoked and seasoned beforehand. Therefore, it is safer to add a little salt at the beginning and check the taste after baking. When lifting the lid after the first stage, the pot and the steam inside are very hot. Open it carefully and avoid bringing your face close to the pot. The time is approximate. If the pieces of meat are thicker, they may need a little more time to become tender, but the basic recipe remains the same: about an hour and a half covered and about 30 minutes uncovered. Substitutions The green onion can be used in the amount mentioned in the recipe, as it was available. If you have exactly 100 g, that is the right amount for this dish. Diced tomatoes in juice can be used directly from the can, without draining. The juice is part of the liquid in which the meat cooks and contributes to the sauce formation. It is not recommended to replace the clay pot with a vessel that does not support the same heating method. If you use another pot, its usage instructions must be followed; in the original recipe, the dish is designed for the clay pot. Variations The recipe can be made keeping the same combination of meat, vegetables, and tomatoes, without any other changes. The amount of garlic can be used whole, as indicated, so that the aroma spreads into the sauce as it cooks. For more visible browning, the final step is done without the lid, but do not change the basic time before checking the pieces of meat. The goal of this step is to brown slightly, not to dry out. Serving ideas Pork belly can be served with potatoes or pasta. The choice depends on preference; the sauce from the pot goes well with both options. The meat can be placed on a plate alongside the vegetables from the pot, and the sauce is served separately or directly over the portion. There is no need for a specific side dish, as the recipe was designed to be adapted according to preference. Frequently asked questions Can I use the clay pot without soaking it in water? For this recipe, the pot is soaked for about 30 minutes in cold water before use. It is best to follow this step, especially to avoid sudden heating of the vessel. Do I put the pot in the preheated oven? No. The pot is placed in the cold oven, then the oven is turned on and set to moderate heat. The clay pot must heat gradually. When are the tomatoes added? The diced tomatoes in juice are added after about an hour and a half of baking, when the lid is removed. After that, the dish cooks for about 30 more minutes without the lid, to brown slightly. Do I need to fry the pork belly beforehand? No. In this recipe, the meat is placed directly in the clay pot, oil is added, along with the vegetables and water, and then it is cooked covered in the oven. What can I serve the pork belly with in the clay pot? It can be served with potatoes or pasta. The choice depends on preference; the sauce from the pot pairs well with both options. Nutritional values The values below are estimates and mainly depend on how fatty the semi-smoked pork belly is and how many servings the dish is divided into. The estimate is made for one serving from a quantity divided into about 5 servings, without a side dish. Calories: approximately 700-900 kcal Protein: approximately 30-40 g Fat: approximately 60-80 g Carbohydrates: approximately 10-18 g Fiber: approximately 2-4 g Most of the calories come from the pork belly and oil. If the dish is served with potatoes or pasta, the nutritional values of the serving will increase depending on the amount of side dish. Storage and reheating Leftovers are stored in the refrigerator in a covered container after cooling. It is best to consume them within about 2-3 days. For reheating, place the portion in a suitable dish and heat it until the meat and sauce are thoroughly warm. If the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator, it may become fluid again as it heats. It can also be reheated alongside the side dish, but the potatoes or pasta may change texture after storage.

Preparation

I cut the piece of pork breast into three, placed it at the bottom of the clay pot, and added 50 ml of oil. I peeled and sliced the carrot into rounds, chopped the onion finely, and left the garlic cloves whole. I put all of these in the pot over the pork breast, added a cup of water on top, covered the pot, and placed it in the oven at moderate heat for about 1 and 1/2 hours. Then I lifted the lid, added the tomatoes, and left it in the oven for about 1/2 hour, uncovered, to brown slightly. It can be served with potatoes or pasta, depending on preference. The clay pot should be soaked in cold water for about 1/2 hour before being placed in the oven; do not preheat the oven.

Semi-smoked pork breast in a clay pot

Preparation

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