This is a hearty dish best suited for the winter season. Considering the low price of the ingredients, it is a great way to treat your family to a truly satisfying and inexpensive feast.
Cut up about 2 lbs (1Kg) of fresh, uncured pork bellies into 2 cm (1 inch) strips and dump them into a large preheated skillet. Make sure the skillet is quite hot before adding the meat. Give it a few seconds until you hear plenty of sizzling noises and then stir and add salt and black pepper. Keep stirring until the bellies render quite a bit of fat and get a nice brown color. Add half a cup of dry red wine. Any wine will do, but full-bodied reds such as Sirrah or Cabernet would be best. Add a few cloves, a couple of crumbled bay leaves, and two coves of finely chopped garlic. Cover and simmer for about an hour until all the fat has rendered and the meat is fork tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Add two cups of chopped peeled potatoes and a cup of chopped carrots, bring back to boil, cover and cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are soft. Other root vegetables like turnips and parsnips may also be used. Serve with soft dinner rolls and the same wine you used for cooking. It’s stewpendous!
