Crispy Pork Belly

[jtoh]

Does anyone have a good recipe for crispy pork belly? I was thinking of trying it out. Thanks.

[ppnqq]

Do you mean shao rou?

[micollh]

i will be interested to know too…

[jtoh]

Yes, shao rou. Anyone has recipes?

[pecalis]

I've got 2 recipe - 1 chinese shao rou, the 2nd is German roast pork. I find the 1st recipe porky, my family likes the 2nd recipe - tender meat, yet crispy skin. I think the key a good oven - one that can go up to 220 deg C.


Crispy pork belly recipe 1
INGREDIENTS:
1\tpork belly (1.5 - 2 kg)
2\tSALT
3\tSUGAR
4\tChinese 5-spice powder
METHOD:
SEASONING:
Weigh the pork and make up a salt and sugar mixture according to the following formula.
•\tSALT: 4/160 X weight of pork in grams = grams of salt required
•\tSUGAR: 6/160 X weight of pork in grams = grams of sugar required
(This is based on our family recipe calling for a ratio of 4 ounces of salt and 6 ounces of sugar for every 10 pounds of meat.)
NOTE: If the pork belly has ribs attached, reduce the weight of pork for measurement purposes, to avoid the meat being too salty. I typically subtract 200g.
•\tMix up the sugar and salt in a bowl with 2 t Chinese 5-spice powder.
PREPARING THE MEAT:
1.\tBring 1.5 litres water to the boil
2.\tRinse the pork belly and remove excess bristles.
3.\tPierce the skin thoroughly with a sharp knife or purpose made instrument available in many Chinese stores.
4.\tHold the one end of the pork in a basin, skin side up, and slowly pour half the hot water over the skin, it should contract.
5.\tTurn the pork around and pour the water over the skin on the other half.
6.\tCover the meat with the seasoning mixture, avoiding the skin. Ensure that the sides are covered as well.
7.\tLeave overnight on a rack in the refrigerator (if necessary).
LET THE ROASTING BEGIN:
1.\tPrior to cooking, bring the pork out and allow it to reach room temperature.
2.\tPreheat the oven to 200C.
3.\tPlace the pork, skin side up, on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan.
4.\tRoast the pork at 200C for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C and roast a further 2 hours.
5.\tWhen the skin appears tough like dried leather, typically at the end of the 2 hours, the oven temperature should be raised to 220C-230C and the pork should be roasted for another 15 minutes at this high temperature.
6.\tKeep a careful watch on the skin – it should begin to blister and become crispy. This process is enhanced in an oven with a top element. You can also place the pork under a hot grill, shielding certain areas that are already crisp with pieces of foil, shiny side up.
7.\tAllow the meat to cool and chop up into smaller pieces.
A final note or two:
•\tSome people use Bicarbonate of Soda on the skin to make the process easier – I find this unnecessary but I will experiment with this method in the near future.
•\tThe skin becomes crispy in a process much like popcorn is made – the skin has to reach a stage where all the moisture and fat has been rendered (the reason for the skin being pierced). The high temperature at the end forces the remaining water molecules to expand violently, resulting in a nice, crispy skin.
•\tFor catering purposes, you need to take shrinkage into account. A piece of pork belly will typically shrink to 60% - 70% of its original size – so what looked like a decent sized piece of meat in the butchers might look a bit small on the dinner table!

Crispy pork belly recipe 2
Ingredients
1.\t1kg boneless pork belly, skin scored (ask your butcher to do this for you)
2.\t1 tbsp fennel seeds
3.\t1 tbsp sea salt
4.\t1 large onion, cut into rings
5.\t3 celery sticks, cut into chunks (optional)
6.\t4 tomatoes, cut into wedges (optional)
7.\t2 potatoes, cut into wedges (optional)
8.\t1 carrot (optional)
Method
1.\tPreheat the oven to 200°C. Place the pork belly on a board and pat dry with kitchen paper. Rub the fennel seeds and sea salt all over the skin.
2.\tPlace the onion rings in a roasting tin, put the pork belly on top, skin-side up, with the rest of vegetables all around and roast for 1 hour. Add stock to keep the pork moist. Remove tomatoes when charred. Increase the temperature to 220°C and roast for a further 20 minutes, until the crackling is crisp. Place on a carving board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with seasonal vegetables.
Chef's tip
You don’t need to stick to fennel seeds on the pork belly – try adding lemon zest, garlic and rosemary instead.

Enjoy

[pecalis]

I realised the shao rou tt we buy from roast duck/chicken rice stall actually burnt the skin till almost black and then they use a sharp knife to scrap off the charcoal, leaving it golden brown - it explains why it sometimes taste bitter. I still have not mastered shao rou but actually, it’s quite easy - between timing and temp.


A male German friend cooked the roast pork for my family and it was an instant hit - I then found the recipe online. It remains a hot favourite among our friends and relatives and I find this dish easy - again, must have enough time and high enough temp. Sometimes when I rush thru - again, the pork smells porky and not cooked thoroughly. If given enough time to cook thoroughly and cackly nicely, the meat is juicy and tasty. Even the tomatoes and potatoes taste real good - with lard tt melted into the gravy!

[jtoh]

Wow! Thanks pecalis!! Going to read through the recipes now.

[cnimed]

THANK YOU Pecalis! My little boy is sure to love this! rushing out to buy pork belly now!

[micollh]

Pecalis,

which one simpler ? from ur experience? i would like to try the simpler one first heee…

if i dont have oven means unlikely i can roast right ? damn… my oven faulty… but haven got time to get a new one!

[jtoh]

Hi pecalis, for your German recipe, you said to add stock to keep the pork moist. Will any stock do? Also, when we first begin roasting, we just place the pork on the onion etc without any liquids/stock right? Then only after 1 hour do we add stock? Do we pour the stock over the pork or just over the vegetables? And how much stock do we use? Thanks!!