In Chinese cuisine one of the most popular cuts is pork belly. Crispy belly pork is flavoursome and if you can get the crackling to crisp up it is one of the most enjoyable meals. I’ve discovered that the best way to achieve this is to prick the skin with lots and lots of holes with a sharp implement. Nonya Secrets Sweet Chilli sauce is the ideal accompaniment to roast pork as it has a good balance of sweetness, chilli heat, acidity and fruitiness that comes from the apricots used in the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork belly
- 1 teaspoon of sherry
- 1 teaspoon of 5-spice powder
- 2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of wine vinegar
Dipping sauce
Serves 4-5
Preparation
Prick the skin of the pork with a sharp knife with as many holes as possible. Then, score the skin so that it is easier to chop once it is cooked. Mix one teaspoon of salt and baking soda and a teaspoon of wine vinegar in a bowl and brush the solution on top of the skin
Mix 1 teaspoon of salt and 5-spice powder and rub into the meat, avoiding the skin.
Cover the meat with foil but expose the skin. Refrigerate the pork for 24 hours before cooking.
To cook, heat the oven to 180 degrees C and roast for 60 minutes. Dry the skin with a piece of kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture. Remove the foil from the sides and place on a rack and increase the temperature to 220 degrees C and cook for a further 20-25 minutes to crispen up the skin. Leave to rest before carving and serve with the Nonya Secrets Sweet Chilli Sauce as a dipping sauce.
