I have always been a fan of making uncommon outcomes out of common ingredients and concepts, a lesson that Remy has taught us in his final Ratatouille dish. Take something that is a simple staple and make it an extraordinary and crave-worthy meal that warms the soul. This is a concept lost in most restaurants and kitchens, where the end result is focused on rather than the journey to get that final delicious destination. This is not the case at WDW Contemporary Resort restaurant Steakhouse 71 (formerly The Wave), where they have taken one of the most common breakfast staples in America, Bacon & Eggs, and transformed it into a culinary masterpiece. This is no common bacon and eggs, though. It is a Maple Lacquered Pork Belly, with smoked cheese grits, and the perfect egg.
Unlike most other delicious offerings at WDW or Disneyland, this is a dish that it is hard to find the actual recipe for. There are rumors of sous vide eggs temperatures, whispers of Pork Belly rub combinations, and names like Tillamook thrown about, but nothing concrete. That made this recipe a little more special to me. I truly took this journey without a map and loved every minute of it.
The Perfect Bacon & Eggs (Serves 4)
The Perfect Egg
Ingredients
- 4 Egg
Add Eggs to container of water and set your immersion circulator to 147 degrees (for a runnier egg, set circulator temperature to 143 degrees). Allow eggs to cook for a minimum of 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, remove eggs from water and allow to naturally cook for approximately 15 minutes.
Pork Belly Rub
Ingredients
- 2 TBLSPN Coconut Sugar
- ½ TBLSPN Szechuan Peppercorns
- 1 TBLSPN Kosher Salt
- 1 TBLSPN Maple Bourbon Seasoning by Spiceology
Instructions
Add all ingredients to spice grinder and grind for 15-20 seconds. Transfer to s shaker for ease of use.
Maple Lacquer Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 TBLSPN Maple Syrup
- 3 OZ Coconut Sugar
Instructions
Add maple syrup to a sauté pan and add the coconut sugar. Incorporate both ingredients and reduce heat so that it does not boil over. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 1 LB Pork Belly
- Pork Belly Rub (above)-Enough to Coat Entirely
- 1-2 OZ of Maple Syrup
Instructions:
Preheat your smoker or offset grill to 225 degrees. Activate “super smoke” function, if this is available on your smoker.
Cut 1 LB Pork Belly into 4 equal parts (4 oz each) and score the fat side in a diamond pattern. Coat the Pork Belly in maple syrup and then evenly coat in Pork Belly Rub that we have prepared. Then put the Pork Belly onto a tray with a wire rack insert, so that the Pork Belly does not cook in its own fat.
Place the Pork Belly onto your smoker or offset grill and cook at 225 degrees for 5 hours or so, until the internal temperature reaches 208 degrees. When pork belly has reached internal temperature, sear on your griddle or in a hot sauté pan to add a nice crispy texture.
Smoked Cheesy Grits
Ingredients:
- 2 pads of Butter
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Corn Grits
- 3 oz. Shredded Tillamook Cheddar Cheese
Instructions:
Bring water and milk to a rolling boil. Once you have achieved the rolling boil, add grits and blend thoroughly. Once grits are fully incorporated, add the cheese and blend. Once cheese is blended, add pan to smoker to allow for natural smoke to flavor the grits, generally the last 15 minutes or so of the cook time.
Final Build
When all ingredients are complete and you are ready to plate, crack the egg open into a bowl. Then with your serving plate, add a large spoonful of grits, and top with the sous vide egg yoke. Add the seared pork belly to the plate and tope with the maple lacquer.
I hope that you enjoy watching and trying this recipe, and don’t be afraid to try preparing it with your own flair.
Enjoy, Discover, Create, and be Fearless Chefs, my friends.
The DVC Chef
