THE HOUSE OF PAIRINGS | recipe of Davide Di Corato

Il Moro Nero d’avola is to be paired with pork, a classic Sicilian match which, in the area of the province of Ragusa and the black earth of Valle dell’Acate in particular,  expresses more elegance, not a rusti characterc, with its nuances of blackberries and berry fruit. And, on the palate, a supple chocolate which accompanies the sumptuousness of this pork and, on the finish, cleans the palate. A Nero d’Avola wine, Il Moro, provides drinking pleasure and enjoyment with this crisp plate.

Ingredienti per 4 persone
a 1.65 pounds of pork belly with its rind
1 branch of dried myrtle with its leaves
1 garlic clove
1 bouquet garnì of rosemary, thyme, and wild fennel
1 bay leaf
the zest of one organic orange
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Boil the pork belly over a low flame for at least 45 minutes or when the rind becomes soft after placing the garlic, the bouquet garnì, and the orange rind in the cooking water. Once the pork belly is ready, drain the water off and cool the meat in a dish with pierced holes with a weight on top to keep it perfectly flat. Leave the meat for at least four hours, better if an entire night. Once it is cold, remove it from the refrigerator and let it return to room temperature. Pre-heat the oven to a temperature of 430° Fahrenheit. Divide the meat into four pieces and cover the edge of the cut with aluminum foil. Place the meat on a Teflon oven plate with the rind on the upper side and dress it with abundant olive oil. Add the bay leaf and the dried myrtle leaves, the salt, and pepper. Cook in the oven for some 20 minutes or un- til the rind has become crunchy. Take it out of the oven and serve after removing the aluminum foil.