Braised Wild Boar Belly

Prepare the overnight brining liquid first: In a large pot, combine 2 cups of water with the 1/4 cup honey, 6 bay leaves, thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, garlic, peppercorns, and Kosher salt over high heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, and add 2 more cups of water. Cool completely.

Put the wild boar belly into a sealable container or glass baking dish, and pour the brine over it. Cover the container or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 325 F. Take the wild boar belly out of the brine and pat dry. Discard the marinade and herbs.

Cut the belly into rib-size strips. Score the fatty side with a sharp knife in a cross-hatch pattern.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Lay the wild boar belly strips, fatty-side down, and sear, rendering the fat. Use tongs to check that the fatty side has browned, then flip the pieces over, and quickly sear the other side.

Drain out the fat, and deglaze the pot with the beef stock into the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. The wild boar belly needs to be submerged, so add more beef stock or water as necessary.

Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot tightly, and put it into the oven. Braise for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until very tender.

Allow the wild boar belly to cool slightly in the liquid. When ready to serve, lay the belly pieces, fat-side up on a broiler pan, and broil until the skin crisps. Alternatively, heat a large skillet over high heat, and add the wild boar strips. Crisp 1 or 2 minutes, then serve.