Super Crispy Roast Pork Belly: The Recipe Everyone Wants
No one, and I really mean no one, makes crispy pork belly like the Chinese. This dish from the book Chinese Takeaway requires some planning, but the end result is absolutely worth it. Serve with a jar of sugar so that instead of hearing ‘Mmm, delicious’, you hear ‘Oh my god, this is heaven!’.
There are few sounds as satisfying as that first crack of crispy pork belly. It’s that addictive moment when you know: all that waiting in the kitchen was so worth it.
Why everyone loves crispy pork belly
There’s a reason the internet is full of searches like “crispy pork belly recipe”: everyone wants that magical moment of crack! when the fork breaks through that perfect crispy layer of pork skin. It’s salty, fatty, tender and crunchy all at once, and the contrast between juicy meat and that crackling crust is simply irresistible.
The ultimate comfort food
Maybe it’s the primal power of comfort food, maybe it’s simply the combination of fat and salt (let’s be honest, that always wins). One thing is certain: when that pork belly comes out of the oven and the aroma spreads through your kitchen, you know something sacred is about to happen.
How to get that pork skin perfectly crispy
The secret to truly crispy pork skin? Patience, heat and salt at the right moment. Because yes, cooking pork belly is not a rush job; it’s a declaration of love to your oven. Let the meat cook slowly so it becomes melt-in-the-mouth tender inside, and finish with a blazing-hot setting to achieve the golden-brown crust foodies dream of. With this pork belly recipe, you’re guaranteed the crackling that makes every chef discreetly wipe away a tear.
How to make super crispy pork belly
- The evening before you want to cook the meat, prick the skin all over with a satay skewer or the tip of a sharp knife; make sure you don’t pierce the meat. Especially when using a knife, don’t prick too deeply. The more holes you can make in the skin, the crispier it will become.
- Place the pork belly skin-side down and massage the rice wine into the meat only, followed by the five-spice powder, salt and pepper.
- Now place the pork belly skin-side up in a dish, pat it dry with kitchen paper and refrigerate uncovered overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C when you’re ready to roast the meat. Place the pork belly meat-side down on a piece of aluminium foil, fold the foil up along the meat but leave the skin uncovered.
- Pat the skin dry again with kitchen paper and then brush it with the rice vinegar.
- Cover the skin completely with the coarse salt and roast in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the salt crust from the pork belly and place the meat in a clean roasting tin.
- Return it to the oven and roast uncovered for another 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and place it under a hot grill for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is very crispy but not burnt.
- Cut into slices and serve with a bowl of sugar for dipping the meat.
Warning:
There’s a good chance that after making this recipe, you’ll want to make crispy roast pork belly every week. And honestly? No one will stop you. Because once that piece of pork belly with its crispy layer of skin is on the table, every ounce of self-control disappears faster than you can say “crackling”.
Title: Chinese Takeaway
Author: Kwoklyn Wan
Price: €20.95
Publisher: Good Cook
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- Chef’s favorites with Norman Musa
- Recipe: Sea bass fillet in sweet-and-sour sauce
- These are the spiciest dishes in the world
