Cheesy pork belly panini

Spicy maple cheddar cheese slices (optional): add maple syrup to a small bowl or measuring glass and whisk in the cayenne pepper powder until it's combined. 

Place a greased or Silpat-lined sheet pan in your oven on its lowest setting. Mine is 150°F.

Add water to a medium-sized pot and bring to a simmer. Add sodium citrate and stir to combine.

Slowly add all the shredded cheese, stopping to stir the cheese into the sauce after every handful. Once all the cheese is added, stir very well while the cheese is still simmering to make sure it is very smooth.

Slowly pour 2/3rds of the maple syrup and cayenne pepper mixture and stir again to incorporate it thoroughly into the cheese sauce.

Once the cheese sauce is nice and smooth, carefully pour the sauce over the warm sheet pan and shake the sheet pan to allow the sauce to spread out. You may need a knife or an offset spatula for this.

Sprinkle or drizzle the rest of the spicy maple syrup mixture and use a spoon or knife to spread it out to create a marbled look on the surface of the cheese. 

Once the sauce is in a consistently thin layer, cover the cheese with wax paper and move it to the refrigerator to cool.

Once the cheese is fully cool, you can carefully remove it from the sheet pan and slice the cheese into 4-inch or 3.5-inch squares or whatever shapes you desire. To store the cheese, place a piece of parchment or wax paper between each slice and store it in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Crispy oven-baked pork belly: wipe the pork belly off with paper towels and place it on a sheetpan, skin side up. Make sure the skin is very dry and store it in the fridge overnight. 

When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 300°F (148°C). 

Remove the pork belly from the fridge and dry the skin very well with paper towels. Rub the olive oil all over the surface of the pork belly, and then coat all sides with your seasoning blend. 

Place the pork belly on a wire rack placed in a sheet pan or baking dish, skin side up, and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F.

Remove the pork belly from the oven and raise the heat in the oven to 500 degrees F (260°C).

Place the pork belly back in the oven for an additional 25 to 30 minutes. This is meant to crisp up the skin. You can also crisp up the skin by using the oven broiler as well, but be very careful because the exterior will burn quickly if you're not paying attention.  

Remove the pork belly from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If you want thinner slices, you can cool the pork belly in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 hours until the meat is firmer. 

Sandwich assembly: in a medium pan over medium heat, sear the pork belly slices until they start to brown a little in a skillet or pan. This will warm the meat and create more texture on each slice. 

Slice a sandwich roll and spread mayonnaise on the inside of both sides. Add a few pickled jalapenos to the bottom roll and top with some of the seared pork belly slices. 

Top the meat with some cheese and close the sandwich. 

Panini process: spread butter on both exterior sides of the sandwich and cook it in a panini press until the bread gets crusty and browned. If you do not have a panini press, you can use a hot cast iron skillet with another skillet on top of the sandwich, pressing it down. This will griddle the bottom side, and you will have to flip the sandwich, but it will work just fine.

Once both sides of the bread are browned and the cheese is melty, serve and enjoy.