Hampshire Pork Tenderloin And Belly, Suckling Pig Head, Olde Salt Clams, Matsutake Mushrooms, Black Garlic Jus - kosher salt

Method

• In a large bowl, combine the salt, peppercorns, sugar, pepper flakes, rosemary and thyme leaves, and bay leaf. If doubling the batch, evenly divide The Cure into 2 separate bowls.
• Make the Bacon Bread Crumbs.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degree F; position a rack in the middle. Roughly chop the bread into cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Toast the bread in the oven until completely dried out, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking time.
• Transfer the bread cubes to a food processor fitted with a blade and pulse until the crumbs are finely ground. Measure out 4 cups.
• Add enough oil to a large skillet to just cover the bottom of the pan. Set the pan over high heat and warm the oil until just before it starts to smoke. Add the bacon, reduce the heat to medium, and render the bacon until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked lardons to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool completely.
• In a food processor fitted with a blade, combine the bread crumbs, lardons, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until everything is finely ground and well combined. The bread crumbs will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Make the Pig Head Pork Cakes:
• Pat the pig face dry and rub 1 batch of The Cure all over. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degree F; position the rack in the middle. Rinse the pig head under cold running water, pat dry, and set aside in a roasting pan. Place the peppercorns, fennel, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary into a piece of cheesecloth and tie the ends together to form a sachet. Warm a dry skillet over high heat. Add the onion halves, cut side down, and sear until blackened. Remove the onion from the heat. Place the sachet, oil, carrot, and blackened onion into a 4-quart pot set over medium-high heat. Warm the oil until the temperature registers 200 degree F on a deep-frying thermometer. Pour the warm oil mixture over the pig head, cover the roasting rack with parchment paper, then cover with foil. Bake for 3 hours, or until the head is fork-tender. Refrigerate, covered and in the oil, overnight.
• Return the roasting pan to the stovetop, and warm the oil over medium heat, until you can easily pull out the head halves. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Pull all the meat from the head, making sure to get into every little crevice. Run your knife through the strands, so that the meat is no longer than 1 inch. Peel and chop the tongue and brains. Very finely dice the ears, skin, and fat. Basically, the only "garbage" should be the bones, teeth, eyes, and end of the snout. The rest gets used in this dish. You should wind up with about 8 cups of meat. In a large bowl, combine the meat with the mustard, red pepper flakes, tarragon, chives, garlic, and shallots. Set aside while you prepare the breading station for the patties.
• In a shallow bowl combine the flour and salt and set aside. In a medium bowl lightly beat the eggs and set aside. Place the Bacon Bread crumbs nearby in a shallow, wide bowl.
• Slightly moisten your hands and shape the pig head meat into 3-inch-round and [1/2]-inch-thick pork patties-you should wind up with 10 to 15 patties.
• Dip each patty in the flour mixture, then in the beaten eggs, and finally in the bread crumbs. Set aside 4 patties and freeze the remaining patties for another use (they are excellent for a Sunday brunch, with a fried egg on top). Transfer the reserved breaded patties to the refrigerator until ready to assemble the dish.
• When ready to serve, add 2 inches of oil to a Dutch oven or a skillet with tall sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it registers 350 degree F on a deep-frying thermometer. Carefully slide the pork cakes into the hot oil and fry them for 40 seconds, or until the outside is golden and crispy. Transfer the cakes to a paper towel-lined tray and season with salt.
• Make the Pork Belly:
• While the pig head rests overnight, make the pork belly, as it too will need an overnight rest. Rub the remaining batch of The Cure all over the pork belly pieces, and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degree F; position the rack in the middle. Add the canola oil to a large Dutch oven and set it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Warm the oil until the temperature registers 180 degree F on a deep-frying thermometer. While waiting on the oil, place the peppercorns, fennel, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary into a piece of cheesecloth and tie the ends together to form a sachet. Heat a dry skillet over high heat and add the onion halves, flat side down. Cook until the bottom of the onion is charred, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Rinse the belly under cold, running water, and thoroughly pat dry. Place the belly, spice sachet, garlic, carrot, and blackened onion in the oil, cover the pot, and transfer it to the oven. Cook the belly for 3 hours. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool slightly before refrigerating overnight.
• Remove the belly from the fat and wipe off any excess fat from the meat. Cut the belly into 3 even squares and freeze until solid, 4 to 6 hours. Once solid, cut the belly into 16 ([1/8]-inch-thick) slices. Set aside the slices on a piece of parchment paper.
• Make the Tenderloin:
• Separate the speck slices into groups of 4, each piece with a group laid out to slightly overlap the other. Sprinkle each speck "block" with 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Place the tenderloins at the bottom of each speck "block" and roll them into cylinders. Lay out 4 pieces of plastic wrap on the counter and transfer each tenderloin cylinder onto its own piece of wrap. Wrap the meat as tightly as possible, twisting at both ends.
• Sous-Vide Cooking Instructions (see step 19 for Sous-Vide Alternative Instructions): Preheat an immersion circulator filled with water to 140 degree F. Place each tenderloin cylinder in a small vacuum-seal bag and seal the bags. Poach the tenderloins for 2 hours. Remove the tenderloins from the bags and set aside until ready to assemble the dish.
• Sous-Vide Alternative Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degree F; position the rack in the middle. Add enough oil to a large ovenproof saute pan to cover the bottom of the pan and set it over high heat. Just before the oil starts to smoke, remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloins and add them to the pan, seam side down, and reduce the heat to medium (you may need to do this in batches). Cook the tenderloins until browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the tenderloins over, transfer the pan to the oven, and cook until medium, 5 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the loins registers between 140 and 145 degree F on a meat thermometer. Set aside until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, Add enough oil to a large saute pan to cover the bottom of the pan and set it over high heat. Just before the oil starts to smoke, add the speck-wrapped tenderloins to the pan, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the tenderloins until browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the butter and thyme and baste the meat for 1 minute. Flip the tenderloins over and baste for 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and let sit for 5 minutes. (If you cooked the tenderloin in the oven, return the meat to the stovetop, and over medium-high heat, add the butter and thyme and baste for 1 to 2 minutes. Let the meat rest 5 minutes before slicing.)
• Make the Black Garlic Jus:
• Fill a small bowl with hot water and soak the black garlic for about 10 minutes. Peel the garlic (the skins should pop right off) and set aside. In a large saucepot, combine the clams, stock, wine, bacon, thyme, and bay leaf and cook over medium heat. As soon as the clams begin to open, remove the pot from the heat. Strain the jus through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and discard the bacon and herbs. Add the black garlic to the jus, and using an immersion blender or a stand blender, puree the liquid until smooth. Keep both the clams and the jus warm. Right before serving, reheat the jus until almost simmering and transfer to a gravy boat.