Asian Glazed Roasted Bacon

1.

Preheat oven to 350F.

2.

Sear the bacon on all sides, starting with the sides, then the bottom, then the fatty/skin side.

If necessary, add a touch of canola oil or sesame oil to the pan.

You will need to leave the fat/skin side down for a while to blister the surface and get a good crackling texture.

3.

Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

Add the sesame oil to the pan and heat through with the rendered pork fat.

Add the red pepper flakes, cardamom seeds, yellow mustard seeds, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon stick to the pan and fry until fragrant.

4.

Add the ginger and garlic to the spices and cook until the garlic begins to brown.

5.

Then add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, and water and bring to a simmer.

Once its simmering, add brown sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved.

6.

Place the pork, skin/fat side up into the cooking liquid and heap some of the spices on top of the meat and add orange quarters skin side down to the roasting pan.

Place in the preheated oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours (until the meat measures 160F on an instant read thermometer and the fat is beginning to render), then kick the temperature up to 450F and roast for an additional 20 minutes.

If the roasting liquid reduces too much while roasting, add water as needed.

7.

During the final roasting period, make rice (I use brown basmati, cooked according to package instructions) and prep green pepper slices for blistering.

8.

Remove the pork from the roasting pan and place on a cutting board covered with aluminum foil to rest.

9.

Meanwhile, bring the roasting liquid to a boil and cook until reduced by half and throw the green pepper slices into a red-hot frying pan.

Fry until skin blisters and flesh is a bit tender.

10.

Serve the pork in thin slices over rice with pepper slices and topped with sauce.