HAPPY NATIONAL BACON LOVERS DAY! GO HOG WILD WITH CHEF JAKE WOOD OF 18 SEABOARD

It’s #NationalBaconLoversDay on August 20th and we’re going hog wild! Chef Jake Wood at 18 Seaboard in Raleigh, North Carolina created a delicious pork dish made with Heritage Farms Cheshire Pork Belly to mark the occasion. Did you know, pork belly is technically bacon? When you cure and slice the pork belly, it becomes bacon! To celebrate, we recommend you try the recipe for his Crispy Sorghum Pork Belly with Creamed Corn and Scallion-Sugar Snap Slaw.

Recipe: Crispy Sorghum Pork Belly with Creamed Corn and Scallion-Sugar Snap Slaw

Ingredients:
CREAMED CORN
1.5 cup devotion sweet corn
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup manchego cheese (feather grated)
1 tbsp fresh scallion (slant cut)
Salt & pepper to taste

SCALLION-SUGAR SNAP SLAW
1 cup fresh scallion (slant cut)
1 cup fresh sugar snaps (slant cut)
1/2 cup breakfast radish (thinly sliced half rounds)
2 red shishito peppers (thinly sliced and include the seeds)
1 large crimson okra (thinly sliced stars)
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1/2 cup Sorghum Soy Sauce

Mix in bowl and toss fresh

SORGHUM SOY SAUCE
2 cups soy sauce
1 cup sorghum syrup
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp fresh chive (micro cut)

Use a little bit of hot water just to loosen the sorghum before mixing it in. Once married, it will usually not settle to the bottom.

PORK BELLY
1 raw cheshire pork belly
1 can Dale’s Pale Ale
8 garlic cloves
2 shallots (rough chopped)
1 sprig of fresh thyme

Directions:
Cook in covered hotel pan for 14 hours at 195–200 degrees.
Once complete, drain the liquid and let cool in walk in.
Once cooled to temp and easier to handle, cut portions into desired sizes.
Deep fry pieces for about 4 minutes or until extremely crispy on the outside (we set our fryer at 325 degrees).

Before plating on top of the corn, dunk your crispy pork belly into the Sorghum Soy Sauce as many times as you’d like, making sure that crispy skin soaks up all that good flavor. Finish the bowl by topping the pork belly with a healthy portion of Scallion-Sugar Snap Slaw and enjoy!

About Chef Jake Wood
Chef Jake Wood is the Chef de Cuisine at 18 Seaboard and works with Executive Chef and Owner, Jason Smith, to push the envelope of fine dining and southern cuisine. Wood’s passion for food was influenced by his grandparents who both taught him coastal cuisine. When he’s not busy in the kitchen, Wood enjoys spending time with his 6 year old daughter Breanna Leigh and wife Brandi.