Braised Pork Belly Lollipop Recipe

Sticky, sweet, fatty and unctuous! These pork belly "lollipops" are a decadent, perfect to ring in the new year, and great chased by a flute of Champagne. Consider serving with Paradise's Quark and Bacon Stuffed Deep-Fried Olives.

Pork Belly Lollipops

Makes 36-40 pieces

1 (3-pound) Fantasma's Finest Pork Belly

1 large yellow onion, cut into big chunks

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 (2-inch piece of ginger, grated

Apple cider

1/2 jar Fantasma's Finest Apricot Preserves

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Place pork belly fat side up in a 9- by 13-inch oven baking dish. Add onions and garlic. Pour apple cider into dish about halfway to 3/4 of the way up the belly (don't cover completely). Cover dish with foil and bake for 6 hours.

Remove pork belly from the oven and allow to cool. Drain the juice and fat from the pan and return the pork belly to the baking dish. Place a piece of foil over the top and weight with heavy cans of food. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for the night.

Next Day

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a small saucepan, warm the apricot preserves over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

With a sharp knife, cut pork belly into 1- by 1-inch squares. Pour the warm preserves over the pork belly and brush evenly over the top. Place pork belly in the oven and rewarm for 15 minutes, or until the preserves are thick and bubbly.

Spear each pork belly square with a toothpick and keep warm until time to serve.