Chinese roast pork belly

Chinese Roast Pork Belly

Enjoy this bubbly and crispy Chinese roast pork belly, a traditional dish my family makes every Lunar New Year! According to my mom, roasted or fried dishes must be included in the Lunar New Year dinner spread as it represents a fire, which symbolize prosperity for the new year.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Inactive Time 2

Total Time 255

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Ingredients

1lblean, center cut pork belly
1tspvinegar
1/8tspsalt
1tspneutral oil

Marinade:

1/2tspsalt
1/2tspchicken bouillon powder
1/2tspfive spice powder
1/2tspsugar
1/4tspwhite pepper
2tspShaoxing wine

Instructions

Prepare the pork belly

In a bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together.
1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder, 1/2 tsp five spice powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
The easiest way to get an even, bubbly crispy skin is to ensure that the piece of pork belly itself is very even in height. Slice off any extra pieces of meat that make the pork belly sit unevenly.
1 lb lean, center cut pork belly
With the pork belly skin side down, cut 1 inch-spaced cuts into the pork belly. Make sure to only cut about 75% through and avoid cutting through the layer of fat closest to the skin.
Brush the marinade all over the meat (except the skin), including the sides and in-between the slits you just cut.
Put the pork belly skin side up on aluminum foil. Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil around the pork belly to create a foil tray.
Wipe the skin dry with a paper towel. With a few toothpicks, skewers, or a sharp-tipped knife, poke many holes all around the skin. The more holes you poke, the more bubbly and crispy the skin gets when roasting!
Brush vinegar all over the skin. Season the skin with salt. Both of these will help draw out extra moisture from the skin, making it extra crispy.
1 tsp vinegar, 1/8 tsp salt
Store the pork belly in its foil tray uncovered and on the top shelf of your fridge for at least 16 and for up to 48 hours. After this time, the skin should be really dry and hard.

Roast the pork belly

Preheat your oven to 350F. With a sharp tipped knife, poke some extra holes into the skin of the pork belly. This step is crucial to ensure the bubbly and crispy texture of the skin.
Place the the pork belly (still in its foil tray) onto a baking tray. Roast for 30-40 min (for a 1 lb pork belly; 30 min in a toaster / countertop oven and up to 40 min in a conventional oven). For a 2 lb pork belly, bake an extra 10 minutes or so.
Carefully remove from the oven. Lightly brush oil evenly across the skin. Set oven to broil on 450F, and place the pork belly about 4-5 inches from the broiler. Broil for 5-8 minutes or until skin becomes bubbly all over — make sure to watch it closely as it can also burn quickly. If one side is getting too dark, place a loose piece of foil over that side.
1 tsp neutral oil
Remove from the oven and let cool. With the skin side down, slice through each cut, then into individual pieces. Enjoy!

Video

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Susanna (@smelly.lunchbox)

Keyword cantonese pork belly, chinese roast pork belly, crispy pork belly

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Chinese roast pork belly