Crisp Chinese pork belly
This impressive Chinese pork belly features wonderfully crisp crackling and is surprisingly simple to prepare, making it ideal for a dinner party. The pork is seasoned with five-spice and salt, then roasted until the skin is perfectly crunchy. It is served with a quick dipping sauce made from soy, ginger, sweet chilli and spring onion, and pairs beautifully with rice and greens.
Ingredients
- 1.3kg piece boned pork belly skin on and scored, ask the butcher for the thin end
- 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- small knob fresh root ginger grated
- 1 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce
- 1 spring onion finely chopped
Method
- 1. Massage the five-spice powder and 1 tsp fine salt all over the pork. Place it uncovered in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hrs, or ideally overnight. When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to its highest temperature. Position the pork on a rack set inside a roasting tin, ensuring the skin faces upwards. Cook for 10 mins. 2. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and continue roasting the pork for a further 1½ hrs. Check the pork at this stage. If the skin has not crisped, increase the heat to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and cook for another 30 mins until the crackling is crisp. 3. Transfer the pork to a board and allow it to rest for at least 10 mins. 4. For the sauce, combine all the listed sauce ingredients with 2 tbsp water. Slice the rested pork into small pieces and serve accompanied by the dipping sauce. You can also offer boiled rice and steamed greens alongside if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories696 kcal
Fat50 g
Saturates19 g
Carbs3 g
Sugars2 g
Protein59 g
Sodium2332 mg
Salt5 g
Recipe details
Skill levelEasy
CategoryRecipes
Cuisinechinese
