Pork roulade soon at Café Presse

First step in making a pork belly roulade is to “butterfly” the belly so that it is twice as wide but half as thick.

Coming to the new winter menu at Cafe Presse that begins this Thursday, January 10, 2019:

Crispy sage rubbed pork belly roulade served with roasted apples, Jeruselem artichokes, endives, hazelnuts and aged sherry vinegar

To make the roulade, we start with belly from Berkshire pigs, a heritage bread known for the quality of its fat and for its flavor.  To assure that the flavors of the sage-salt-black pepper rub reaches every part of the roulade, we open the belly up to twice its size but half its thickness in a process that is called “butterflying”. The rub is then applied generously, the seasoned belly is rolled and tied so that it will keep its shape during cooking.

The seasoned pork roulade is trussed to assure that it will keep its shape during long slow cooking

Preparations finished, the roulade is then cooked in a slow oven oven for hours until it is tender and unctuous inside and crispy golden on the outside.  Yum!