Paleo Yam & Pork Belly Hash

This recipe originally comes from  Longman & Eagle in Chicago, and if you're in the mood for a rich breakfast,  this is your jam.  I found the pork belly at my local Sprouts, you can usually find it at specialty grocery stores or butcher shops.  If you haven't had it before, I have to warn you it is fatty, but that's kind of the beauty of it.  This makes enough for 4 to share - or if you're feeling overindulgent, you could probably handle 2 servings.  Think of this as the fancy breakfast sausage + syrup....

12 oz pork belly

2 large thyme springs

3 garlic cloves, smashed

3 cups chicken stock

olive oil

pepper

coconut oil

1 large yam, peeled and cut into cubes

2 large shallots, chopped

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2-3 tbs grade B maple syrup

3-5 green onions, chopped

Braise the pork belly:

Preheat oven to 275.  In a large dutch oven, heat a couple tbs of olive oil and sear each side of the belly.  Add stock, thyme and garlic, bring to a boil.  Place in the oven for 3 hours.  Remove pork belly and let it cool. Place the pork belly between two glass dishes (I used baking dishes) and weight the top one with canned goods.  Put in the fridge overnight.  Now, I don't have much experience with pork belly, but braising is apparently the way to go.  If you have an opinion, please comment.

To make the hash:

Remove pork belly and cut into cubes (about the same size as your yams).  In a large pan - I used a big cast iron skillet - heat a couple tbs of coconut oil and brown the pork belly (about 3-6 mins).  Remove from pan and add the yams.  Cook those bad boys, then remove them too.  Add some more coconut oil and throw the shallots in there for a few minutes until the become fragrant. Return the pork and yams back to the pan with all of their juices and some cracked black pepper and let the whole thing cook for a bit.  Add the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and green onions  - toss to coat and let cook for another 1-2 minutes.