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Crisp Chinese pork belly

 


Method 1

Ingredients

1.3kg piece boned pork belly

skin on and scored, ask the butcher for the thin end

2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

For the dipping sauce

4 tbsp soy sauce

small knob fresh root ginger

grated

1 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce

1 spring onion

finely chopped

step 1

Rub the pork with the five-spice and 1 tsp fine salt then leave, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 2 hrs, but preferably overnight. When ready to cook, heat oven to its maximum setting. Lay the pork on a rack over a roasting tin, making sure the skin is exposed. Roast for 10 mins before turning down the heat to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, then leave to cook for a further 1½ hrs. Have a look at the pork – if the skin isn’t crisp, turn up the heat to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7, then cook for another 30 mins until crisp. Leave to rest on a board for at least 10 mins.

step 2

To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients together with 2 tbsp water. Cut the pork into small pieces, then serve with the sauce, plus boiled rice and steamed greens, if you like.

RECIPE TIPS

PORK BELLY

When whole, the belly has a thick and a thin

end, with the ribs attached to the thick end. A

whole pork belly will weigh about 3kg but will

feed about 8-10 people, so half a belly is perfect

for four, with leftovers.

Pork belly can either be tied into a joint and

roasted, or roasted as a flat piece, as in my recipe,

right. It is also delicious slow-cooked in liquid –

this is best done skinned, but you won’t get the

wonderful crackling that comes from roasting.

Method 2

🐷 Crispy Chinese Pork Belly (Siu Yuk) Recipe

🧂 Ingredients:

2 to 2.5 lbs (900g to 1.1kg) pork belly, skin on

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)

1 tsp five-spice powder

1 tsp white pepper

1½ tsp salt (divided: ½ tsp for marinade, 1 tsp for skin)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp rice vinegar (for brushing the skin)

Optional: 2–3 garlic cloves (crushed, for aroma)

Optional: coarse salt or rock salt (for skin-roasting method)

🧑‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Prep the Pork Belly (The Night Before or 8+ Hours Ahead)

Rinse and pat pork belly very dry with paper towels.

Use a skewer, meat tenderizer, or fork to poke lots of holes in the skin. The more holes, the crispier it gets!

Flip the pork belly over (meat side up), and score it with a knife (just shallow crosshatches).

Rub the meat side with:

Shaoxing wine

Five-spice powder

White pepper

Sugar

½ tsp salt

Flip it back to skin-side up, and wipe the skin dry again.

Brush skin with rice vinegar and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt evenly (do not let the salt touch the sides or meat).

Place pork belly on a tray, uncovered, skin-side up, and refrigerate overnight (this dries out the skin).

2. Roast the Pork Belly

🔥 Option A: Dry-Roast with Salt Crust Method

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Place pork belly on a rack over a tray lined with foil (to catch fat).

Cover the skin with a layer of coarse or rock salt (½ inch thick) – this forms a crust to help crisp the skin.

Roast for 50 minutes.

Remove pork belly, discard the salt crust and brush off any salt.

Increase oven to 450°F (230°C). Return pork belly for another 30–40 minutes, or until skin is golden, puffed, and crispy.

Watch closely to prevent burning.

🔥 Option B: Air Fryer Method (for smaller pieces)

After drying and marinating, cook at 400°F (200°C) for 30–40 minutes.

Use foil to protect edges if they start to burn before skin crisps.

3. Rest & Slice

Let pork belly rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Use a cleaver or very sharp knife to cut into bite-sized pieces.

Serve with hoisin sauce, mustard, or on rice/noodles.

📝 Tips for Super Crispy Skin:

Dry skin = crispy skin: Air-drying overnight is key.

Poking holes helps the fat render and blister the skin.

Don’t skip vinegar or salt on the skin — they draw out moisture and help with crackling.



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