chinese roast pork - sio bak - by Shanny Lim

Recipe for roast pork

1kg pork belly skin on
1 tbsp vinegar
Sea Salt

Marinate Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tbsp Shao Xing wine
- 1/2 tsp pepper (optional)

1. Blanch the pork belly in boiling water for 5 minutes to get rid of unwanted smell. Wait for it to cool down a bit.
2. Pat dry the pork with kitchen towel. Prick the skin with skewers/shark knife. The more the merrier to get a crunchy skin. Make sure you don't poke too deep to the meat or you'll lose the moisture while roasting.
3. Marinade bottom of the pork belly starting with wine, five spice powder and salt. Becareful not to rub the pork skin.
4. Turn around the pork and wrap a layer of aluminium foil around the pork with the skin uncovered. Put the pork into the fridge for at least 12 hours. The purpose of doing this is to let the pork skin drying up in the fridge. Remember not to cover the pork skin.
5. On the next day, preheat the oven at 230C.
6. Rub vinegar on the pork belly. Put a layer of sea salt covering the top of the pork belly skin.
7. Put the pork belly on a wire rack with skin side up into the oven. Place a tray underneath layered with aluminium foil (for easy cleaning purpose) to catch the oil drippings.
8. Roast the pork belly for 30 minutes at 230C. Increase the temperature to 250 and roast for another 30 minutes.
9. Take out the pork and remove the sea salt and roast for another 10 minutes.
10. Remove the pork belly and let it cool down for 15 minutes before cutting it into pieces.