Chinese Roast Pork (Siu Yuk)
A Chinese BBQ shop is a place of wonder and one of my favourite places to go to as part of my grocery shopping trips. When I was a child, I would stare in awe at all of the different meats, hanging and glistening in the display case. Does the mahogany coloured duck look plump and juicy today? But the pièce de résistance is the golden pig, with its crispy, salty skin and juicy, tender meat. During my time living in a small town, without any Chinese BBQ shops, I would be experimenting in the kitchen to get my roast pork fix. Luckily there were plenty of farms nearby and pork belly was very economical.
Chinese Roast Pork
Follow the technique for gettting the Perfect Pork Crackling except you should marinate the meat side of the belly while it is drying in the fridge. The recipe below is normalized to 1 kg of meat, so adjust accordingly to the weight of your pork belly. Fermented Red Bean Curd can be found in Asian supermarkets and go by the name Nam Yu in Cantonese. Note that you're looking for the red variety and not the white one. Ground Bean Sauce can also be found in similar stores and go by the name Meen See Jeung. This recipe can be used on any cut of pork with skin, but the belly is easiest since it is very flat, which is friendly for home ovens.
Ingredients
Preparation
- Step 1
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In a bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients, crushing the red bean curd into a uniform mixture.
- Step 2
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Follow the preparation guide for the Perfect Pork Crackling except stop right after the step where you've punctured several holes into the skin.
- Step 3
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After puncturing the holes into the skin, flip the belly to meat side up. Using a knife, make slashes into the meat in a lattice pattern. Only cut about halfway into the meat.
- Step 4
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Slather the marinade all over the meat side, getting the marinade into the cuts that you just made. Make sure no marinade gets onto the skin side.
- Step 5
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Place the belly, skin side up, onto a baking rack and tray. Continue following the steps for the Perfect Pork Crackling and place in the fridge overnight.
- Step 6
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When ready to bake, take the belly out of the fridge and pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Step 7
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Wipe off all the salt and moisture from the skin and then put in the oven. Bake for thirty minutes or until cooked through.
- Step 8
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Remove the pork from the oven and wipe off any oils and fats from the skin. Set the oven to a high broil and adjust the oven rack so that the pork can get pretty close to the hot element.
- Step 9
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Place the pork back into the oven and monitor it closely. The skin will start to puff and bubble. Move the pork around to distribute any hot spots and prevent burning. Remove the pork when sufficient crackling has formed.
- Step 10
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Allow the pork to cool for 10 minutes before slicing it up. Serve with a side of Hoisin Sauce for dipping.