Spicy Pork Belly With Green Olives and Lemon

• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 18 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 2 1/2 pounds pork belly
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2 heads fennel, halved through the core and sliced
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup green, Tuscan-style olive oil
• 13 cup chopped green olives
• Cooked rice (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Using a spice grinder, grind the peppercorn, chili, fennel and coriander together.
3. Season the pork with salt and rub with the ground spice mixture.
4. Set a stew pot over medium heat.
5. Add the vegetable oil, and when hot add the pork, skin-side down.
6. Cook until well browned, taking care not to burn the spices.
7. Turn once and remove the pork to a plate.
8. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the garlic, fennel and leek and a pinch of salt, and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
9. Add the wine, 1 cup of water, rosemary and a pinch of salt.
10. Return the pork and juices to the pan.
11. Bring to a boil.
12. Cover and cook in the oven until the pork is meltingly tender, about 4 to 5 hours.
13. Transfer the pork and one-quarter of the vegetables to a plate.
14. Discard the rosemary stems.
15. Puree the remaining vegetables and cooking liquid in a blender with the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil, and season to taste with salt.
16. Thin with water if necessary.
17. Return the pork and reserved vegetables to the cooking pot and stir in the sauce and olives.
18. Heat to serving temperature, basting the pork with the sauce.
19. If you choose, serve over rice.

black peppercorns, chili flakes, fennel seed, coriander, pork belly, salt, vegetable oil, garlic, heads fennel, leeks, white wine, rosemary, lemon juice, vinegar, green, green olives, rice

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7649 (may not work)