Crispy Skin Pork is a popular liming food, meaning a food to be enjoyed when hanging out with friends. It’s a straightforward dish prepare that just requires the right ingredients, the right piece of pork, and some preparation time.

Crispy Skin Pork Recipe

Yield – 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients

Pork Belly – 3 to 4lbs

Five Spice Powder – 2 to3 tbsp

MSG – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 tsp + More

Sesame Oil – 1 ½ tbsp

Chinese Cooking Wine – 1 ½ tbsp

Method

1. Place pork belly onto a board, meat side up.

2. Using a very sharp knife, cut the belly meat into a checkerboard pattern, ensuring not to cut too deep. You do not want to penetrate the fat layer or skin layer.

3. Thoroughly rub the wine, oil, msg and tsp of salt into the pork belly.

4. Flip the pork belly over.

5. Using paper towels, dry the skin thoroughly.

6. Next, using either toothpicks, skewers, meat tenderizer with prongs or similar instrument, poke as many tiny holes as you can into the skin without penetrating the fat layer under the skin. Poke as much as you can, the more the better.

7. Pat dry the skin again with paper towels.

8. Rub a generous amount of salt (at least 3-4 tablespoons) onto the skin ONLY.

9. Place skin side up onto a raised wire rack and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight, or for a minimum of 10 hours.

10. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

11. Pat dry the skin side of the pork belly only with paper towels to remove any moisture that may have accumulated from the overnight marination.

12. Rub an additional teaspoon of salt onto the skin.

13. Place in oven and allow to bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours.

14. After that time has passed, turn on your broiler in oven and place the pork belly under the broiler for 10-15 mins. The skin will start to rise and crisp up. Keep an eye on it through the oven door and move it around to prevent burning on certain spots.

15. When the skin has risen and gotten a pebbly texture, remove and allow to rest for 5 mins.

16. Chop into cubes using a light meat cleaver or large, sharp knife (If your meat cleaver is too heavy, it will crush the meat).

17. Serve with a mix of soy and hoisin sauce and enjoy!