sio bak | crispy roast pork belly | 烧肉

This has got to be one of my favorite things in the world to eat.

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For the LAM and I, it is something we must order when we go to any (Hong Kong style) Chinese restaurant. Fat little cubes of juicy pork and crackling. I mean, whats not to love?

While we always order this at restaurants, I do admit that I have always felt that the prices charged simply do not justify the portions we get.

So what is a (stingy) home cook going to do? Well, make some sio bak at home, naturally.

Let me tell you, this is a REALLY EASY dish to prepare at home.

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Don’t believe me? Well, just read on!

Making sio bak is a 2-day process. I said the process was “easy”. I didn’t say it was “fast” haha. But it is worth it, trust me.

Start by making the marinade. Whisk together preserved red beacurd (紅腐乳/南乳), the juice of the red beancurd, salt, oyster sauce, sugar, five spice powder Shaoxing wine, and white pepper in a bowl.

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Poke the skin with what I call an “Instrument of Torture” (a special skewer which you can buy in any plastic-bucket shop). There is no need to poke too deeply. 

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The more holes you poke, the more blistering there would be later.

So just keep poking.

Turn the pork over, and cut some slits on the meat.

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Slather on the marinade.

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Make sure that the marinade gets onto the sides too.

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Turn the meat back around. Dry the skin thoroughly with a kitchen towel.

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Pour the remaining marinate into a tray/ dish that is about the same size as the meat. Carefully transfer the meat into the tray/ dish, with the skin facing up. Make sure that the skin is REALLY dry. Place the entire tray (uncovered) in the fridge over night for the skin to dry out.

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Before roasting, take the pork out of the fridge and place the tray on the kitchen counter for about an hour for the meat to come to room temperature. Near the end of the hour, preheat your oven to 220°C.

It is important that

1. If you have a grilling function on your oven, use that setting.
2. If not, you can still roast the pork, but place the oven shelf closer to the top element.

Poke holes on the skin again using the instrument of torture. Lift the meat onto a wire rack set over a tray which has been lined with aluminium foil. 

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Apply a thick layer of salt over the DRY skin. I used kosher salt but you can use whatever salt you prefer.

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Roast the pork for 30 minutes at 220°C. At the end of this, reduce the temperature to 180°C and roast a further 45 minutes.

Remove the pork from the oven. If you have a grill function on your oven, switch to that. If not, pre-heat the oven to 230°C. 

Meanwhile, carefully scrape the salt off the pork with a knife. Try not to tear the skin.

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Return the pork into the oven for about 20 minutes. The skin will start to crackle and pop.

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Keep an eye on the pork during the last 10 minutes. If there is smoke, open the oven door to let the smoke out.

JUST. DO. NOT. PANIC.

Once done, let the pork rest for 15 minutes (this is important!! Leave the meat alone!) before cutting to serve.This cost me less than $25, inclusive of the cost of the meat (2kg of meat here) and the marinade.

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Talk about value for money!

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Sio Bak | Crispy Roast Pork Belly | 烧肉
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1-1.4kg pork belly
  2. 2 pieces preserved red bean curd (紅腐乳/南乳)
  3. 3 tablespoons juice of preserved red bean curd
  4. 1 tablespoon sugar
  5. 2 teaspoons five spice powder
  6. 2 teaspoons white pepper
  7. 1 tablespoons oyster sauce
  8. 3 teaspoons salt
  9. 3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
Instructions
  1. Start by making the marinate. Whisk together preserved red beacurd, the juice of the red beancurd, salt, oyster sauce, sugar, five spice powder Shaoxing wine, and white pepper in a bowl.
  2. Poke the skin with an Instrument of Torture (a special skewer which you can buy in any plastic-bucket shop). There is no need to poke too deeply.
  3. The more holes you poke, the more blistering there would be later. So just keep poking.
  4. Turn the meat over, and cut some slits on the meat. Slather on the marinade. Make sure that the marinade gets onto the sides too.
  5. Turn the meat back around. Dry the skin thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
  6. Pour the remaining marinate into a tray/ dish that is about the size as the meat. Carefully transfer the meat into the tray/ dish, with the skin facing up. Make sure that the skin is REALLY dry. Place the entire tray (uncovered) in the fridge over night for the skin to dry out.
  7. Before roasting, take the pork out of the fridge and place the tray on the kitchen counter for about an hour for the meat to come to room temperature. Near the of the hour, preheat your oven to 220°C.
  8. Lift the meat onto a wire rack set over a tray which has been lined with aluminium foil. Poke holes on the skin again using the instrument of torture.
  9. Apply a thick layer of salt over the DRY skin.
  10. Roast the pork for 30 minutes at 220°C. At the end of this, reduce the temperature to 180°C and roast a further 45 minutes.
  11. Remove the pork from the oven. If you have a grill function on your oven, switch to that. If not, pre-heat the oven to 230°C.
  12. Meanwhile, carefully scrape the salt off the pork with a knife. Try not to tear the skin.
  13. Return the pork into the oven for about 20 minutes. The skin will start to crackle and pop.
  14. Keep an eye on the pork during the last 10 minutes. If there is smoke, oven the oven door to let the smoke out.
  15. Once done, let the pork rest for 15 minutes (this is important!! Leave the meat alone!) before cutting to serve.
Adapted from Foodforlife
Adapted from Foodforlife
The Domestic Goddess Wannabe http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/