Craving that irresistibly crispy, crackling skin of Chinese pork belly? Get ready to unlock the surprisingly simple secrets to creating this restaurant-worthy dish in your own kitchen. From flavor-packed prep to the crucial baking and broiling times, prepare for pork belly perfection!
Preparation
First, I'm gonna walk you through getting everything ready to make this awesome fried rice! It's pretty straightforward! We gotta prep the sauce so it's ready to go! Get a small bowl and mix those sauce ingredients. Set. It. Aside.
Next, we're going to whip some eggs and cut some bacon. You gotta trim off the extra fat, so there's no weird, greasy bites!
We're gonna mince garlic and ginger and chop onions. The recipe says brown, white, or yellow onions—whatever you like or have on hand is fine!
Finally, we're gonna guarantee the rice is day-old or cold! Seriously, don't skip this! Warm rice will make it mushy—bleh! If you just cooked some, spread it on a pan and chill it super fast in your fridge. Make sure you have long-grain rice!
Thinly slice the scallions at the very end, and keep them in a ziplock bag.
Ingredients
Now, let's gather our ingredients—the real stars of our fried rice show! You'll need about 2 pounds of pork belly, that's the foundation!
Next, grab some aromatics! I mean we're talkin' stuff like five-spice powder, about a tablespoon should do it. You will additionally want salt–for seasoning, naturally; we are going to use a teaspoon. A generous salting will help draw out moisture for proper crackling.
Don't forget the white vinegar! This makes the skin bubbly and crisp! We're going to need 2 tablespoons there.
That's really all you need! I know it sounds simple because it is. We can now make this dish amazing! What's next? Well, we will be getting ready for cooking!
Cooking
Let's finally get this cooking underway! First, I'm gonna pat the pork belly completely dry! We need that skin bone dry for maximum crispiness – trust me!
Next, I'll preheat my oven to about 300°F (150°C). I'm placing the pork belly on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet. This lets the heat circulate and that's super important.
Then I rub the meat part with my spice mix: Salt, pepper, and whatever other spices I'm feeling today!
Now, I'm cranking up the oven to broil. Watch the pork CLOSELY at this point—we are after puffy, bubbly skin, not burnt charcoal. I usually have the rack positioned about 6 inches (15cm) from the broiler! It'll be ready when it's super crispy and golden brown – yum.
Serving
I like to let my pork belly rest for about 10 minutes after broiling to let those juices redistribute. Plus, it's easier to handle when it's not crazy hot!
Now, for serving, I usually slice it into 1/2-inch thick pieces. You wanna hear the crackle as you cut—that's the sound of success! Arrange the slices on a platter.
I love serving this with a simple dipping sauce. Think a mix of soy sauce, a splash of rice vinegar, a tiny bit of sesame oil, and maybe a pinch of sugar if you're feeling fancy. Similarly, you can enjoy this pork with a flavorful sauce like soy sauce with sesame oil.
Don't forget the sides! Some steamed rice and stir-fried veggies make a wonderfully balanced meal. And a cold beer? *Chef's kiss*! Honestly, you can't go wrong pairing this crispy pork belly with almost anything you want.
Short Recipe Version
Chinese Crispy Pork Belly****
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2-3 hours
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs pork belly
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions:
- Score the pork belly skin.
- Rub the meat with salt and five-spice powder.
- Rub the skin with rice wine vinegar.
- Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 2-3 hours until tender.
- Broil until the skin is crispy and bubbly.
- Let it rest, slice, and serve with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar mixture for dipping.
Nutrition Information (per serving – Estimated):
- Calories: 650
- Protein: 40g
- Fat: 50g
- Carbohydrates: 5g