5-year-old accidently dropped her cookie on the floor.

Me (scolding): Look at all the pieces you made!

5-year-old (beaming): Mom, now I have more pieces of cookie to eat.

So much to learn from this little kiddo.

Roasted orange-rubbed pork belly with fennel

(Adapted from Nuno Mendes’ My Lisbon)

Serve 6

For the marinade:
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 bunch of cilantro (roughly chopped)
1 orange (juice and zest)
4 tbs olive oil

For the pork belly:
2.5 lbs pork belly (skin on)
1 fennel bulb (thickly sliced)
2 sweet onions (thickly sliced)
40ml dry white wine

1. Use a knife to scrape the skin clean.
2. Score the meat-side in a crisscross pattern.
3. In a tall container, use a handheld blender to blend all marinade ingredients.
4. Rub the marinate all over the meat, but not the skin.
5. Refrigerate over night.
6. Preheat the oven to 285F.
7. In a cast-iron pan, arrange fennel and onion slices on the bottom.
8. Pour left-over marinate and white wine on the vegetable.
9. Place the pork belly on top.
10. Roast the pork belly for 2 hours.
    • Note: If you have a thick and large piece of pork belly, increase the roasting time to 2 1/2 hours.
11. Once the meat is tender, broil for 5-10 minutes so the skin becomes crispy.
    • Note: watch carefully because the skin can burn fairly quickly at this point.
12. Let the meat rest on a plate for 15 minutes.
13. Use a sharp knife to chop the meat.
14. Serve with the fennel and onions on the side.