Useful Charts

The Heat Chart below shows the advisable interior food temperatures for safe eating

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Crispy Pork Belly

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  • 800g/ 1.7lbs pork belly
  • Chinese cooking wine 
  • 1 teaspoon of five spice powder 
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 3 teaspoons of salt
  •  rice vinegar/lemon juice on the pork skin

 

  1. Firstly blanch the pork belly by placing it into a pot of boiling water for 5 mins. After that, cool it in iced water for another 5 mins.
  2. Blanching is a common technique in Southeast Asian. The mean idea is to get rid of the rough taste of the meat.  Also, the pork skin is much easier to get poked through after quick boil.
  1. Scrape the skin with the knife to remove the impurities and hairs.
  2. Pat dry the pork belly with a kitchen paper.
  1. Poke lots holes in the skin to create the crispy texture. The more holes in the skin, the crispier it will be.
  1. Flip the pork belly over. Cut only the meat part into strip size. Do not cut too deep through the skin.
  1. Massage the meat part with some chinese cooking wine.
  1. Preparing the seasoning . 1 teaspoon five spice powder. 2 teaspoons of sugar. 3 teaspoon of salt.
  1. Massage the seasoning all over except the skin.
  1. Flip the pork belly over, use a foil paper to wrap the meat part. This is to keep the moisture of the meat when we air dry the whole pork belly in the fridge later.
  1. Pat dry the skin. Remove any seasoning attached on the skin otherwise that part will be burnt very easily.
  1. Add some sea salt on top to facilitate drawing the water out from the skin.
  1. Put it the fridge overnight or at least 6 hrs
  1. The morning after. Remove the sea salt on the pork belly.
  1. Brush some vinegar/lemon juice on the skin. The acidity of the vinegar help conduct the heat and makes the crackling sooner and the pork belly much crisper.
  1. Preheat the oven at 400 F/200 C.  roast the pork belly for 25 mins (force fan) Each oven is different so the roasting time may vary.  The key is to observe the process from time to time to until the skin gets brown and puffy.
  2. (tip: you may put a tray underneath to collect the pork oil. You can use the pork oil for cooking. Or simply mix it with a bowl of plain rice)
  1. Increase the temperature to 480F/ 250C  and bake for 5 mins to finish the process.
  1. Once done.  Cool down the pork belly in room temperature for 20 mins before you cut it. Otherwise, the skin can crack very easily.
  2. Cut it into the small pieces and transfer it into the serving plate.

You may wish to add a sauce to this so try this method

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g pkt Coles Pork Belly Bites
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook pork , turning, for 5 mins or until golden and heated through.
  2. Add the soy sauce , sweet chilli sauce , honey , garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook, tossing, for 3-5 mins or until the pork is coated in sauce and the sauce is sticky.
  3. Arrange the pork on a serving plate. Drizzle with a little sauce and sprinkle with spring onion and chilli (optional).