I had gotten some pork side meat (which is like the belly, just not as fatty) from Hayfield Farms and was hosting a brunch. So how to cook it?How about candied pork belly slow cooked in the oven? Let’s let the pork get happy with some brown sugar, thyme, salt, black pepper, and cloves for a couple of days. Then we add some maple sugar before we slow cook it. Then we carmalize to make a nice candy coating. I hope you like it.

2 pounds pork side meat, diced in 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt substitute
1/4 cup maple syrup

Place all ingredients except the maple syrup in a plastic covered plastic container and refrigerate for two days.

Preheat oven to 275.

In a foil pan place pork cubes with brown sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, clove and salt substitute.

Place in oven for 1 hour 45 minutes turning once.

Remove from oven.

In a non- stick pan add some of liquid from the tin pan about a 1/2 cup.

Add pork cubes to pan with the maple syrup.

Cook on medium heat until pork is caramelize and the liquid is sticky.

Serve.