Ready the marinade ready: put the wine, onions and carrots in sticks, spices and bay leaves, pepper grains, salt in the big container. Add the pieces of meat, which shall be totally covered.
Put a lid and let macerate for 24 hours. Stir from time to time
Drain the mixture and keep the liquid. Separate meat and vegetables and filter the liquid marinade.
Put the oven-proof pot on the cooker. When heated enough, place the slice of fresh pork belly, let it melt and remove.
Sweat and soften one minced sweet onion. Remove.
Place the drained marinated meat in the pot, sear it and cover with the strained marinade.
Adjust the seasoning. Close with the lid and cook in the oven, between 100°C / 212°F and 110°C / 230°F depending on your oven.
Watch the cooking: the meat should get soft, the pieces just starting to loosen.
When ready, take it out of the sauce and keep it warm in a pot without drying out: in the oven at 70°C / 158°F with a bowl of hot water to steam it.
Meanwhile, get the marinade’s vegetables to soften in a thick bottom saucepan with Sichuan pepper grains and the bouquet garni. When very tender, strain them through a fine mesh strainer and add them to the sauce.
Reduce slightly and then bind the sauce with a teaspoon of corn-starch or other binder of your choice.
Gradually add the crushed chocolate in pieces. Reduce further if necessary to obtain a smooth topping. Adjust the seasoning.
Butternut squash puree:
Wash the squash if necessary, then cut it in 4 lengthwise.
Place the wedges on the bottom of a baking dish or pan lined with baking paper.
Bake at 200°C / 392°F until the skin comes off and the flesh is tender (test with a knife).
Remove from oven and let cool. When the temperature is bearable for your fingers, remove the seeds and skin from the pieces. Put them in a blender, mix until very smooth and season this filling to your taste with salt, pepper and a little butter for creaminess. The squash naturally has finely spiced aromas with notes of hazelnut.
Cover the meat with the chocolate sauce and serve with the butternut mash.
Serve with a Châteauneuf-du-Pape red Tradition Château de La Gardine decanted 1/2 hour before and stored between 12°C and 14°C.