As I mentioned in my Chicken in Champagne Sauce recipe earlier this year, I draw inspiration from many sources – online research, reader requests, or from friends. Today’s recipe is inspired by a reader’s recent tip, left in a comment from the Nakkikastike (Finnish Hot Dogs in Sauce) recipe I shared a couple years back.
Like Nakkikastike, Tirripaisti is a staple Finnish comfort food – not quite haute cuisine, but something to warm the belly in all the right ways. In researching the recipe, I found there were two general methods to prepare this dish in Finland; some simply season the pork belly and fry it up as you would bacon, while others insist the pork should be sauteed with onion, then simmered in water to make a sort of gravy. I’ve provided recipes for each preparation – they’re both super easy.
In most cases, Tirripaisti is served with boiled and mashed potatoes (or sometimes boiled turnips) and a vegetable of some kind – like pickled beets or roasted veggies.
If you have any recipe development requests, I’m all ears – feel free to leave them in the comments below. Bear in mind that between this site and my two cookbooks, I’ve covered over 600 recipes, so chances are I’ve already tackled many that you’re looking for! Here are the recipe lists for The Ancestral Table and Paleo Takeout.
Tirripaisti - Finnish Pork Belly (Gluten-free, Perfect Health Diet, Paleo, Primal, Whole30)
Crispy version:
1 lb pork belly, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt, more to taste
1. In a bowl, combine the pork belly, allspice, pepper, and salt; toss until well-mixed. Transfer to a cold cast-iron skillet, then set the heat to medium-low. Continue to sauté until the pork has browned, stirring every few minutes, about 12 minutes altogether. You’ll know the pork belly is ready when most of the fat has rendered and the oil forms small bubbles (like in the picture above).
Saucy version:
1 lb pork belly, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt, more to taste
1 small onion, diced
1. In a bowl, combine the pork belly, allspice, pepper, and salt; toss until well-mixed. Transfer to a cold cast-iron skillet, then set the heat to medium-low. Once the pork belly starts to release its liquid fat, add the onion.
2. Continue to sauté until the pork has started to brown and the onion has softened, stirring every few minutes, about 10 minutes altogether. Add enough water to just cover the pork, about 1 cup, then simmer gently until the pork is tender and about half of the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes.
To serve:
mashed potatoes
roasted brussels sprouts
** Quick mashed potatoes tutorial: peel and slice some Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes into 2″ chunks; cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes, then drain. Add butter and heavy cream while mashing, a bit at a time, until the right consistency. Add salt and white pepper to taste.
** Quick roasted brussels sprouts tutorial: slice in half lengthwise, then toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper; roast at 425F until browned and crispy, about 40 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes.
