Amelia's Achiote Pork Belly Pazole

Ingredients: 
Pork Belly

• 2-3# Piece of Pork Belly
• ½ Cup Achiote Powder
• 1 Lime
• ½ cup Salt
• 2 quarts of hot water

Directions: 

1. Mix Water, salt, and 3 Tablespoons of the achiote powder together in a large Bowl. Cut the Lime in half. Juice the lime into the bowl with the brine, and throw the two halves in as well. Give it a good whisk to dissolve the salt. 
2. Let Cool in Refrigerator for an hour. Now add the pork belly to the brine.  Let it brine for 12 hours
3. The next day preheat the oven to 325F. Take the pork out of the brine and rub the rest of the achiote powder onto the side of the belly that has meat.  
4. Put the belly skin side (or fatty side) up in a pan large enough to let it lay flat. Put a ½ cup of water in with the belly. Cover with plastic wrap, and then a sheet of foil over that. Put In the oven, and let roast for 4 hours. It should be fork tender when it is done. 
5. After roasting unwrap the pan, and let chill in the refrigerator overnight. For the best results, find something you can use to press the belly lightly with weight  (possibly another pan with a few cans in it, on top of the belly) while it chills.
6. After it chills you can take this opportunity pull the skin off. Put the belly on a cutting board, and slice into to large rectangles. Slice the rectangles into ½” thick slices. The end pieces that are not flat on both sides are used to make the pazole so save those separately. 

Pazole Ingredients:
•    The scraps from the Pork Belly
•    1 Yellow Onion diced small
•    1 Poblano Pepper seeded and diced small
•    1 Jalapeno diced small (removes seeds if you want it to be less spicy)
•    1 25oz can of white Hominy
•    2 cloves of Garlic minced
•    1 bunch of cilantro stems minced
•    1 Tablespoon Cumin Powder
•    1 Tablespoon Mexican Oregano
•    1 quart of chicken broth (unseasoned)
Garnish: 
•    2 Avocados
•    2 Limes
•    The Cilantro leaves from the pazole
•    1 Jalapeno sliced thin

Directions: 

1. In a 4-quart pot over medium heat add the pork belly scraps. Let render and crisp. Now add the onion, peppers, garlic, cumin, and oregano.
2. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Add the Hominy and Chicken Broth. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Turn back to a simmer and cook over low heat until Hominy is tender.
4. Finish the soup with minced cilantro stems.
5. Cool for later use if needed.
6. When you are ready to serve Crisp the sliced Pork Belly in a cast iron pan and put on top of the hot soup.
7. Sprinkle with some fresh cilantro.
8. Garnish plate on the side of sliced avocado, picked cilantro, sliced jalapeno, and lime wedges.