Crispy Pork Belly Tostones
Ingredients
2 lb Skin on Pork belly (See Note)
1T Lard
Roasted Salsa:
3 Garlic cloves
1/2 onion (cut into large chunks)
2 chilis in adobo
1 14oz can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted preferred)
1 T salt
3 unripe plantains
Lard for deep frying
Lime Crema:
1/3 C Sour Cream
Zest and Juice of 1 Lime
Other Toppings:
Pickled red onion
Chopped Cilantro
Avocado
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, chilis, and water to a small baking dish.
3. Grease a quarter sheet pan and place the pork belly on it, skin side up.
4. Place the pork belly in the oven and roast for 2.5hrs.
5. When there is 1hr left, place the tomato mixture in the oven.
6. Once the timer is up, remove the roasted tomatoes and onions from the oven and puree in a blender.
7. Turn on the broiler and leave the pork belly in until the skin is puffy and crisp. DO NOT LOOK AWAY. THIS WILL ONLY TAKE 2-3 MINUTES!
8. Cut plantains in 1.5” sections and remove the peel.
9. Heat a pot of lard to 325-350F and fry the plantains until they begin to brown and are soft enough to smash.
10. Remove and drain the plantains on a towel. Using a measuring cup or other flat object smash each plantain slice until it’s thin (Pro tip: a small spatula can help remove it from your smasher).
11. Fry the smashed plantains in batches until they’re crisp and salt liberally when pulled from the fryer.
12. Combine the sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl and mix to a drizzling consistency (You can add a teaspoon or two of water as needed for consistency).
13. Slice pork belly and serve up a platter of delicious build-your-own tostones to your party!
Note: When shopping for pork belly try to get the flattest and most even piece (if it’s a strip, great! A square? No problem!). Ensuring the skin is level will help ensure an even crisp skin during roasting. Sometimes I prop one end up with a metal measuring cup underneath to help even it out.