Cantonese Roast Pork Belly

Method7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Pat the 3 lb boneless skin-on pork belly dry without rinsing raw meat. Place it skin-side down on a tray and rub all 2 tsp Shaoxing wine into the meat, keeping the skin dry. Mix all 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp five-spice powder and ¼ tsp white pepper, then rub that mixture thoroughly into the meat. Turn the pork skin-side up.

   Uses 3 lb skin-on boneless pork belly · 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine · 2 teaspoons salt · 1 teaspoon sugar · 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder · 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2. 2

   Step 2: Use a sharp metal skewer to prick many small, shallow holes across the skin of the seasoned pork from step 1, without gouging deep into the meat. Place the tray uncovered in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours to dry the skin, below and separate from ready-to-eat foods.

   Dry pork skin in refrigerator · 720 minUses Seasoned skin-on pork belly

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Preheat the oven to 375°F (about 190°C). Put the chilled, skin-dried pork from step 2 on heavy-duty foil on a baking tray. Fold the foil snugly around the sides to form a box with a border about 1 inch high, leaving the skin exposed.

   Uses Refrigerated pork belly with dried, pricked skin

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Brush all 1½ tsp rice wine vinegar over the skin of the pork from step 3. Pack the full ½ cup coarse sea salt in an even layer covering the skin completely. Roast the boneless slab at 375°F for 90 minutes, then check that the center has reached at least 63°C; continue roasting if needed.

   Check ninety-minute boneless roast · 90 minUses Dried pork belly in its foil box · 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar · ½ cup coarse sea salt for the crust

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Take the roasted pork from step 4 out of the oven. Set the broiler to low and put the oven rack in the lowest position. Remove and discard the coarse salt crust, unfold the foil and place a roasting rack over the tray. Put the pork on the rack under the low broiler. Watch continuously as the skin puffs and crisps, checking from 5 minutes; the usual guide is 5–10 minutes. Keep the pork far from the element and remove it as soon as the skin is crisp, before it burns.

   Check low-broiler crisping · 5 minUses Roasted pork after removing the salt crust

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Once the skin is puffed and crisp, take the pork from step 5 out of the oven onto a clean resting board or plate. Let it rest off the heat for about 15 minutes after the center has reached 63°C, keeping the crisp skin uncovered.

   Rest crisp-skinned pork · 15 minUses Crisp-skinned roasted pork lifted from the broiling rack

7. 7

   Step 7: Slice the rested pork belly from step 6 into bite-size pieces and serve as eight portions, with optional sugar or ready mustard for dipping.

   Uses Rested crisp-skinned roast pork belly · Sugar for serving, optional · Ready mustard for serving, optional