sio bak

Roasted Pork Belly

If you like your kitchen to be smoking with delicious fumes, then this is the recipe for you. Contrary to what most cooks would have you believe, this is one recipe that requires you to have a huge exhaust or a airy kitchen. Yup, it’s gonna get real smoky indeed.

I am making roasted pork belly today and it is the easiest recipe in the world to do (I know I say this is easy and that is easy a lot, but it’s true!). There is no mystery about this seemingly difficult dish. All you need are the right ingredients, an oven or even the humble air fryer (which I don’t really recommend) and you are all ready to do this.

When it is done, you will get a kitchen full of smoke and a delicious crackling roasted pork belly or sio bak, and you will love it. Here’s how to make magic happen.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 piece slab of fresh Pork Belly (usually the butcher would have already cut the portion out for display)
Five Spice Powder
Shao Xin Hua Tiao Jiu
White Pepper Powder
Coarse Sea Salt

Method

1. Rub the Shao Xin Hua Tiao Jiu all over the underside of the pork belly. Be generous. Then rub a generous helping of white pepper on the same side. Don’t be stingy. Then rub the five spice powder onto the same side and make it generous as well. Lastly rub the sea salt (generously) on that same side. A lot of cooks suggest that you poke the skin with a sharp fork or sharp skewers. I think it is optional.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the marinated meat on a wire rack and the rack on a tray. Then place the pork belly into the oven and bake for 50 minutes. By the time it is nearly done, your kitchen should be covered in smoke. Make sure your exhaust is turned to full power.

3. Take the nicely roasted pork belly out to rest. Then with a sharp knife, slice and enjoy the cackle of crispy skin.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients