Whipped Mahon Cheese, Pork Belly, Late Summer Beans, Ibérico Ham, and Truffle

In a bowl, combine salt, brown sugar, black pepper, thyme, cloves, and star anise. Rub mixture on both sides of pork belly and cure in refrigerator 24 hours. Rinse belly and let dry overnight in refrigerator. Cold-smoke the belly with hickory and apple wood for 2 hours. Heat oven to 280ºF. In a roasting pan, combine onion, garlic, carrot, thyme, and bay leaf. Transfer smoked pork belly, skin-side up, onto onion mixture. Fill pan with chicken stock one-third of the way up the belly, being careful not to pour directly on the pork. Braise uncovered for 3 to 4 hours. Let cool to room temperature in braising liquid. Remove belly from liquid and lightly press between two sheet trays. Let cool completely. Drain off jus, infuse with black truffle, and reserve for service.

Heat oven to 350ºF. In a roasting pan, combine onion, garlic, red bell pepper, bay leaves and sugar. Place bone on top and roast until lightly browned, without getting to much color on vegetables. Transfer all contents of pan to a saucepan, and cover with chicken stock and water; simmer 2 hours. Strain through a chinois lined with cheesecloth, reduce as needed, and reserve.

In a small saucepan over medium flame, heat olive oil and sweat shallots, garlic, and bay leaf until shallots are translucent. Deglaze with wine and reduce until pan is almost dry. Add milk and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add mahon cheese, and let sit for 10 minutes until cheese is completely soft. Remove bay leaf, transfer cheese mixture to Vita-Prep blender, and purée. Weigh purée and measure 0.5% of that weight in xanthan gum, and 1.25% of that weight in Versawhip. Return cheese mixture to blender. While the blender is running, add xanthan gum and Versawhip, making sure to completely incorporate them into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper, strain through a chinois, and pour into an ISI gun. Charge twice with No 2 cartridge.

Into a hot nonstick pan, Grate mahon cheese with a microplane. Remove from heat and cook until lightly browned. Remove the Mahon “Cracklings” from the pan with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Form into desired shape.

Prepare and heat plancha. Season beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook beans a la plancha, quickly, so they retain some texture. Dress with more olive oil, Dijon, and a few drops of lemon juice.

Cut Pork Belly in 2 ounce portions. In a small saucepan over high flame, heat oil and sear belly on both sides. Glaze with reserved pork jus infused with black truffle. Place Pork Belly on serving bowl and arrange warm, dressed Summer Beans, diced mahon cheese, shaved Ibérico ham, and sliced black truffle around it. Dispense warm Whipped Mahon on top of the Pork Belly. Garnish with Mahon “Cracklings” and summer bean flowers. To finish, pour a small amount of hot Ibérico Ham Consommé around pork.