Crispy Skin Roast Pork Belly AKA Siu Yuk

 Ingredients:

• 2kg sexy-looking pork belly, skin on
• salt
• garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• white pepper
• five-spice powder

Method:

1. Pour boiling water over the skin. You will see the skin tighten. Pat dry with paper towels
2. Prick tiny holes into the skin, using a very sharp knife. Don't get carried away with stabbing through the skin; if you look very closely, you'd just see very tiny cuts in the skin. I may make hundreds of tiny pricks - I find the process very therapeutic.
3. Turn the pork belly over, score cuts into the meat side at 2-3cm intervals (I just cut between the bones)
4. Sprinkle and rub white pepper and five-spice powder, and shove slivers of garlic between the cuts of meat. Do not get any of this stuff on the skin!
5. Place the pork skin-side up in a baking tray, sprinkle skin with salt.
6. Place pork uncovered in fridge to dry overnight. Blot skin dry with paper towel when moisture pools on it. Then sprinkle with a bit more salt. I keep doing it, whenever I go to the fridge.

1. Next day - Pre-heat oven to 180C. Blot skin dry again with paper towel, if needed, and sprinkle with a bit more salt. Put in oven for approximately 40 minutes.
2. Raise heat to 240C and continue roasting for another 40 minutes or so.
3. Ta daa!! As I slice the pork, I sprinkle salt to taste.

Thanks to Rasa Malaysia and Adam Liaw as a reference for this recipe. I like it this way because (1) it's not as salty, and I'd rather prep a day before than have to deal with a salt crust. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Adam Liaw's chilli and coriander relish (Mix until sugar dissolves)

1 tbsp finely chopped birds eye chilli
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander - leaves, stalks, roots
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp caster sugar