As executive chef of Seven Lamps in Atlanta, Georgia, Drew Van Leuvan draws on 24 years of culinary experience to further his goals: for Seven Lamps to be recognized as one of Atlanta’s best restaurant/programs, and to bring a lively neighborhood establishment to the Buckhead area restaurant scene.
Van Leuvan realized early that cooking was his passion, and he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2000. After graduation, he perfected his skills while apprenticing under some of the world’s best chefs including Jean Louis Palladin, Guenter Seeger, Wylie Dufresne, Joel Antunes, Sam Mason and Chef Mark Dommen. Van Leuvan began winning awards as executive chef at Atlanta’s acclaimed Toast restaurant, where he was recognized as a “Chef on the Rise” by Food & Wine magazine. A winner of numerous other awards during his prolific “rising chef” career, Van Leuvan is also a member of the Jean Louis Palladin Foundation, Slow Food and Chefs Collaborative.
Ingredients
- 1 pork belly
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 4 star anis, ground
- 10 black peppercorns, ground
- 5 allspice, ground
- 10 white peppercorns, ground
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 sprigs thyme, chopped
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Twenty-four hours before your cook, mix all the aromatics together and rub into the pork belly on both sides. Cure the pork belly in a cooler.
Set up the EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 250°F.
Rinse off the cure, then tie the pork belly into a roll with butcher twine. Place the rolled and tied pork belly in the EGG. Smoke the belly until tender, around 4-6 hours or until an internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the EGG, untie and let rest for 10 minutes.
Braised Broccoli Raab Ingredients
- 3 bunches broccoli raab
- 7 garlic cloves, shaved thin
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Braised Broccoli Raab Instructions
While the pork belly is resting, set up the EGG for direct cooking without the convEGGtor at 400°F.
Place the garlic and butter in a cast iron skillet. Cook garlic until it starts to brown then add the broccoli and the remaining ingredients. Cook the broccoli until it starts to wilt, roughly 5 minutes. Tip: add a touch of water if needed to help keep the pan from getting too hot. Remove from EGG and serve.
Slice the belly to desired thickness and serve with the braised broccoli raab.
Do you use a pork belly with Skin on?
Yes, with the skin, it is all about a crispy golden coat