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Salt crusted pork belly

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 40 mins
Resting time 10 mins
Total Time 2 hrs
Course Main Course
Servings 10 servings
Calories 518 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Oven tray with rack
  • Aluminium foil

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg pork belly Try to get one that has even depth, not thicker at one end.
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
  • 1 cup salt
  • 2 cups water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F/180C
  • Spread aluminium over the bottom of the oven tray, and pour the water in the base and lay the rack over the top.
  • Wash the pork then dry it completely with paper towels
  • Make 6 slits in the side of the pork below the layer of fat just under the skin, and slide in the cloves of garlic all the way
  • Rub the flesh side of the pork with Chinese 5 spice
  • Place the pork on the rack, skin side up, and pour on the salt.
  • Spread the salt evenly across the skin with the back of a spoon
  • Cook for 1 hour. If the pan goes dry add a little extra water to it. It's there to keep the meat moist. The salt is there to keep the skin dry.
  • The pork will shrink a little, and the salt layer will come away from the skin a little
  • Remove the salt and put the tray back in the oven at 465F/240C for 40 mins to crisp up the skin into crackling.
  • Take the pork out and leave it on the rack to rest for 10 mins before cutting
  • Put the pork on a board skin side down and cut with a cleaver into 1" cubes
Keyword Pork