Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
Approximately 1.4kg of Wicks Manor English Pork Belly
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup coarse sea salt
METHOD
1. Rinse the pork belly and pat dry. Place it skin-side down on a tray, and rub the Shaoxing wine into the meat (not the skin). Mix together the salt, sugar, five spice powder and white pepper. Thoroughly rub this spice mixture into the meat as well. Flip the meat over so it’s skin-side up.
2. Using a metal skewer, systematically poke holes all over the skin, which will help the skin crisp up, rather than stay smooth and leathery. Let it dry out in the fridge uncovered, for 12-24 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius. Place a large piece of aluminum foil onto a baking tray, and fold up the sides around the pork snugly, so that you’re creating a box all around it, with a 1-inch high border going around the sides.
4. Brush the rice wine vinegar on top of the pork skin. Pack the sea salt in one even layer over the skin, so the pork is completely covered. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
5. Take the pork out of the oven, turn on the broiler to low, and position the oven rack in the lowest position. Remove the top layer of sea salt from the pork belly, unfold the foil, and place a roasting rack on the pan. Place the pork belly on the rack and put it back under the broiler to crisp up. This should take 10-15 minutes.
6. When the skin has puffed up and gotten crispy, remove from the oven. Let it rest for about 15 minutes and then slice.
Recipe and Image Credits: The Woks of Life