Lentils & Smoked Belly (Bacon)

[PCL]

A friend made a lentil stew with onions, peppercorns, and smoked belly pork chunks. It was simple and tasty beyond belief. He also spiked it with a German herb, starting with 'S'??

Now, I'd usually go dig around The Book first, but it's been packed as we're moving house later this week. Anyone got any good ideas as to how to accomplish the above??

Thanks in advance.

[Busboy]

Bad news: that's a pretty vague request.

Good news: I can't imagine that you can go wrong throwing anything on top of lentils onions peppercorns and smoked pork belly. But just in case I'd add some chicken stock and white wine to the mix, and maybe some roasted garlic and carrot.

Looking over this German/English spice dictionary, all I can think of is sage or cinnamon (zimt), which I add to my lentils sometimes as the mystery ingredient.

Good luck, I'm sure it will be great, whatever you cook.

Note also this thread.

[PCL]

Thanks dude. I guess some stock should go in. My mate said he didn't use any stock, just water, and added the pork towards the end of cooking as he didn't want it to cook out and become dry.

Makes sense.

I've looked at the other pork belly thread, been there done that! IT's this lentil thing that's got me now. Winter's on its way and it is all good!

[Busboy]

Thanks dude. I guess some stock should go in. My mate said he didn't use any stock, just water, and added the pork towards the end of cooking as he didn't want it to cook out and become dry.

Makes sense.

I've looked at the other pork belly thread, been there done that! IT's this lentil thing that's got me now. Winter's on its way and it is all good!

←

Oh -- another thing: you might want to brown your belly before throwing it in. Your pork belly, that is.

[carswell]

My guess is savoury, one of whose German names is Saturei. In France, savoury is often used in lentil dishes; one of my favourites sounds similar to your friends', except it also includes carrot chunks and garlic. (As others have noted, the bacon should be browned. I brown bacon chunks in a bit of olive oil, remove the bacon, cook the onions in the fat, add the carrots and garlic and cook a couple of minutes more, then add the lentils and herbs, usually bay and winter savoury.) You can subsititute thyme if you don't have any savoury lying around.

[chefzadi]

Thanks dude. I guess some stock should go in. My mate said he didn't use any stock, just water, and added the pork towards the end of cooking as he didn't want it to cook out and become dry.

Makes sense.

I've looked at the other pork belly thread, been there done that! IT's this lentil thing that's got me now. Winter's on its way and it is all good!

←

The other thread is about fresh pork belly (non, oui?) which has different applications. As others have already said in this thread I would brown in first. Adding it towards the end is okay too depending on the texture you want, it's a more homey finish.

Unless you do some sort of smoked pork belly foam or gelee...

[PCL]

Foam? Gelee?

See, at home, you want to feel and taste the food in your mouth. At least I do anyway. Big waste of time and the wanker-factor is stratospheric.

The herb is lovage apparently, Liebstockle... is the German ... anyone know it?

[chefzadi]

Foam? Gelee?

See, at home, you want to feel and taste the food in your mouth. At least I do anyway. Big waste of time and the wanker-factor is stratospheric.

The herb is lovage apparently, Liebstockle... is the German ... anyone know it?

←

Um... I was joking about the foam and gelee.

[Busboy]

Foam? Gelee?

See, at home, you want to feel and taste the food in your mouth. At least I do anyway. Big waste of time and the wanker-factor is stratospheric.

The herb is lovage apparently, Liebstockle... is the German ... anyone know it?

←

Um... I was joking about the foam and gelee.

←

So, now what am I supposed to do with all the gelatin sheets and nitrous chargers I bought?

[chefzadi]

Foam? Gelee?

See, at home, you want to feel and taste the food in your mouth. At least I do anyway. Big waste of time and the wanker-factor is stratospheric.

The herb is lovage apparently, Liebstockle... is the German ... anyone know it?

←

Um... I was joking about the foam and gelee.

←

So, now what am I supposed to do with all the gelatin sheets and nitrous chargers I bought?

←

Make Jello and whipped cream for the kids.

Maybe I'm too old fashioned or not good with word games.

Aspic and mousse. Sound familiar anyone? I was taught that the best aspics do not contain added gelatin, sign of poor technique and artificial texture. The nitrous chargers make mousse from ingredients that could not tradtionally be moussed without the addition of cream or 'hold it' for a short while in mousse state without the addition of gelatin.

If anyone wants to follow with a lecture on the differences between aspic and gelee or mousse and foam, go for it... but if your trying to explain it to me you're singing to the choir or the maestro as the case may be.

[kangarool]

PCL, what were the lentils your mate chucked in? A standard brown lentil that fell apart with cooking and mushed up a fair bit, or purple-black puy or something else? I might have to follow in your lentil-and-smoked-pork-belly footsteps, now that winter is upon us.

Also wondering if you've found a good source for smoked (not just fresh) pork belly around town? There's that great Polish meat stall in the Queen Vic market that I suspect would stock some good stuff...

keep us posted!

[PCL]

This is turning out to be a fun thread.

chefzadi & busboy, the nitrous would make great laughing gas to follow copious numbers of smokeable herbal cigarettes

Kanga, they were puy... firm, solid, dependable. The polish deli in the QV is THE place to get smoked pork belly. I'm moving into a new house this week, but will fire up the stove once I unpack.

[petite tête de chou]

I am familiar with lovage. My mother gave me her plant a few years ago and it has flourished in my backyard. She used to include dried lovage in her care packages for me when I was poor and lived alone. I used it almost exclusively in my budget-minded bean and lentil soups/stews.

It's flavor is similar to celery but much more intense and to some, bitter. Use sparingly.

[bleudauvergne]

I second the savory, lovage or a nice bouquet of thyme, and up that by two bay leaves, fresh if possible. I prepare Lentils all the time.

click for photos of preparing lentils and bacon...

[PCL]

800g of lentils sitting in a brown paper bag at home.

thinking of the following:

mirepoix minus the celery.

browned.

deglaze with chicken stock

fortify with white wine

lentils in

herbs in

bring to boil

chunks of smoked belly - browned

whack in 130C oven for a few hours

chuck in extra belly bits, unbrowned

1/2 hour back in the oven

munch...

now just need to go get more smoked belly... my procrastination has led me to have eaten most of the belly with baked beans over several breakfasts now... shame on me...

[PCL]

Oh, just read the thread Bleau... so a 20 minute simmer is all's required???

Should I mount with butter after???