Siu Yuk — Crispy Roast Pork

Ingredients

• 1.2kg skin-on pork belly, in one flat rectangular piece, bones removed
• For the meat: 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• For the skin: 2 tbsp white rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
• To serve: English mustard and hoisin sauce
• Steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried greens

Method

1. Place the pork skin side up in a colander in the sink and pour over a kettle of boiling water to tighten the skin. Pat completely dry.

2. Prick the skin all over with a skewer, a clean meat tenderiser, or a bundle of skewers, making hundreds of tiny holes without piercing the meat.

3. Turn the pork over and rub the meat with the Shaoxing wine, fine salt, five-spice, sugar and white pepper. Keep the skin free from the rub.

4. Fold up foil around the sides of the pork to make a tight box, leaving the skin exposed. Brush the skin with the rice vinegar, then place on a rack over a tray and leave uncovered in the fridge for at least 12 hours, ideally overnight, to dry out the skin. This time is not included in the preparation time.

5. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Brush off any moisture on the skin, then pat dry again. Rub the coarse salt evenly over the skin.

6. Roast on the rack for 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, scrape off all the salt, and brush off any crystals.

7. Increase the oven to its maximum (about 250°C, or 230°C fan). Return the pork and roast for 15 to 25 minutes, watching closely and turning the tin if needed, until the skin is blistered, puffed and crisp all over.

8. Rest for 15 minutes. Cut into bite-sized pieces with a heavy knife, skin side down, and serve with mustard, hoisin sauce, rice and greens.