Crispy Pork Belly with Onion Pan Jus

Restaurant kitchens braise belly, press it flat overnight and cut it into tidy squares that crisp like toast in a hot pan. It sounds fussy, but the work is mostly waiting. The braise yields the base for the jus, which gets its sweetness from slowly browned onions and a splash of hard cider. When searing, start the squares skin side down in a cold nonstick pan and let the fat render gradually; rushing it gives you a scorched outside with chewy skin beneath.