Shrimp And Pork Belly Recipe
Grilled wild Mexican shrimp and slow roasted pork belly with arbol salsa and cilantro crema
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Ingredients
Method
Directions
- 1
Prepare arbol salsa
Toast the dried arbol chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; let soak for 15 minutes. In a blender, combine the roma tomatoes, half of a white onion, and the 3 garlic cloves with the soaked chiles. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 120 ml water; blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes to mellow the heat and deepen the flavors. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and season to taste. Set aside to cool.
- 2
Make cilantro crema
In a blender, combine the crema or sour cream, 1 cup cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 garlic clove, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. If too thick, thin with water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a pourable consistency. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- 3
Roast pork belly
Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Score the pork belly skin in a crosshatch pattern. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Rub the mixture evenly over the pork belly. Place on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 2.5 to 3 hours, until very tender. Remove from the oven and let rest 15 minutes. Optional: broil on high for 5–8 minutes to crisp the skin, watching closely to prevent burning.
- 4
Grill shrimp
Pat the shrimp dry. In a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Thread shrimp onto skewers and grill over high heat for 2–3 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Remove from heat and tent with foil to keep warm.
- 5
Finish and serve
Slice the pork belly into portions. On each plate, spoon a generous line of arbol salsa, top with a drizzle of cilantro crema, and arrange the grilled shrimp alongside. Garnish with cilantro leaves (0.25 cup) and lime wedges (2). Serve immediately.