Pickled pork belly slices à la Aleks

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1,200 g pork belly, whole, with or without rind
• 300 g onion(s), one large
• 300 ml pomegranate juice, pure
• 200 ml red wine, sweet
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tsp, heaped spice mix (Chmeli-Suneli, Georgian spice mix)
• 1 ½ tsp spice paste (Adzhika, Georgian spice paste), only for those who like it hot
• 200 g tomato paste
• 1 ½ tbsp oil
• 150 ml meat broth
• 2 tbsp, levelled sugar
• 1 pinch(s) dill, fresh, finely chopped
• 1 pinch(s) fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 10 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 8 minutes; Total time approx. 11 hours 8 minutes

2 in 1: grilled food and delicious homemade ketchup variation.

The evening before the barbecue: Cut the pork belly into 1 cm thick slices. Halve the onion and slice into the thinnest half-slices possible, then place it in a bowl and lightly crush it with your hand so that the half-slices fall apart. Combine the pomegranate juice, red wine, salt, pepper, khmeli-suneli, tomato paste, and, for those who like it spicy, adjika in a suitable bowl and whisk until smooth and slightly creamy. Spread half of the onion slices evenly on a baking sheet. Thoroughly coat the pork belly slices in the marinade and spread them evenly on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the remaining onions and pour over the remaining marinade. Gently press in the marinade with the palm of your hand and spread it evenly. Cover thoroughly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 hours. On the day of the barbecue: Remove the baking sheet with the pork belly slices from the refrigerator and, using your index and middle fingers, scrape off any excess marinade from each slice onto the baking sheet containing the meat. Place the peeled slices in a separate, suitable bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Heat a deep frying pan with oil until very hot. Add the remaining marinade and sizzle for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Then sprinkle with sugar and continue to caramelize for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to 1/3, pour in the meat broth, and mix thoroughly. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and purée thoroughly with an electric hand blender. Heat the pan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to bubble. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar, if necessary. Then simmer very slowly for about 1 minute, add the herbs, and stir. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. The sauce tastes delicious hot or cold and goes very well with any grilled dish. Grill the marinated pork belly slices and serve with the sauce and everything else you need for grilling. Khmeli-suneli is a Georgian herb mixture common throughout the Caucasus region. Adzhika is a pasty, boiled seasoning sauce that is often served with meat, poultry, and fish in Abkhaz and Georgian cuisine. Both are available in any Russian market or online.