Pork Belly Confit with Maple Crust

Ingredients

• 1 Quebec pork belly, trimmed (about 3 kg)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 tbsp. 15 ml ground black pepper
• 1/2 cinnamon stick, ground
• 1 bay leaf, ground
• 1/2 vanilla bean, ground
• 1 star anise (badian), ground
• 3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• Vegetable broth, sufficient quantity
• 1 cup 250 ml veal stock
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Maple crust

• 2 tbsp. 30 ml grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp. 30 ml maple sugar or flakes
• 1 tbsp. 15 ml Dijon mustard