In an era when pork belly is nearly as commonplace as grains of sand, it probably seems ridiculous to write about one of my favorite pig parts yet again. No doubt, but occasionally a swine undercarriage hits my plate and the concept still seems novel and exciting. This was the case on October 10 at The Foundry on Melrose for Dionicess VII, the seventh installment of Gev Kazanchyan’s beer-and-food pairing series.

The fifth course from The Foundry chef-owner Eric Greenspan may have been my favorite of the eight. His meaty pork belly square featured a chile glaze that combined honey, red chile flake and Sriracha. Co-organizer Randy Clemens literally wrote the (cook)book on Sriracha, so that last inclusion didn’t come as a surprise, but it still packed a lingering kick. The plate also hosted butternut squash puree for sweetness’ sake and pumpkin seed brittle for crunch. Best of all, Greenspan decided to go “old school,” cooking the pork belly in pork fat, which added killer richness and allowed the exterior to caramelize. The dish isn’t currently on The Foundry’s menu, but it should be.

Greenspan, Kazanchyan, Clemens and Bryant Goulding paired each course with a beer from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Their match for the pork belly was 90 Minute IPA, a double IPA with just enough bitterness to counterbalance the belly’s richness. Goulding, Dogfish Head’s West Coast Sales Manager, even provided some fun facts about the beer. It’s continuously hopped for 90 minutes, carries 9% ABV and touts 90 IBUS – International Bittering Units. Beers technically don’t register over 100 IBUS, but 90 Minute IPA is surprisingly balanced and won’t wreck your palate with hop bitterness.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.