Roast Pork 脆皮烧腩肉（1）

This is another recipe which makes my family drool for more. It can compete with any restaurant's standard. Believe me and give it a try if you are meat lovers. Do you have the same feeling as me? Some food you eat with feeling or with emotion or give you memory. I am having this emotional feeling whenever I cook this dish. Let me touch on this.

Three years ago, the author of this recipe book and her friend came to visit my sister's hometown. At the request of her fans, the author conducted a cooking class just for them. And this is one of the dishes she demonstrated and my sister was one of the fans. At that time, my sister had already been diagnosed with final stage of lung cancer. I visited her and also had short stay with her. She was very optimistic, cheerful and active. During my stay at her place, she prepared this roast pork for me to try. The skin was sooo..... crispy and you can hear the sound "popopo,crak... crak....crak..." when you bite into the skin. The meat was tender and moist. It was really awesome. But now sigh, she cooks no more for me, because she had lost the battle with lung cancer two and the half years ago, and joined my parents in the other universe.

I've passed this recipe to my friends, they all gave me the thumbs up. It is simple to prepare and you should give it a try.

 Pardon me if the photos are not well taken. They were taken with my HTC mobile phone. 

Recipe: Adapted from "Delicacies of China Town" by Lin Yong Hao 林永好

Ingredients:
(A)
1 kg pork belly (with skin)

(B)
2 pieces fermented red bean curd (南乳) - I used 1 piece only
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon "Shaoxing" wine - Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon fine salt
1/2 tablespoon five spice powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar

(C) some salt - to cover the skin

Method: 
1) Wash and rinse the pork belly. Use kitchen tissue to pat dry. Slit the meat repeatedly with a knife about 2-3cm depth (See picture 1 and 2) .
2) Mix ingredients (B) and rub on the meat only (not the skin, see picture 3 and 4).
3) Place the meat, skin side up on a plate. Allow to chill in the fridge (in the chiller compartment) for 2-3 days until the skin is dry. do not cover the meat so the skin will dry up.
4) Transfer pork belly directly from the chiller onto a wire rack, and sit on the roasting pan, add some water to the roasting pan. Skin face upwards.
5) Cover the skin with salt generously (see picture 6 and 7). Bake in a preheated oven at 250 degree C for 20 minutes, remove from the oven when the bubbles appear on the surface of the skin (seen from the side of the meat). Carefully discard all the salt from the skin.
6) Return the pork belly to the oven (skin face upwards), continue to roast for 20-25 minutes until cooked and the skin is crispy. Take out from the oven, leave to cool and cut into pieces. Serve.

NOTE: I USE SHARP MICROWAVE CONVENTION OVEN AND PLACED THE PORK ON LOWER RACK.
   

食谱取自“吃在茨厂街” 作者：林永好

材料：
1 公斤 带皮五层花腩肉

 腌料：（拌均匀）
2块 南乳 （我用一块）
1大匙 蚝油
1小匙 黑酱油/嗮油
1大匙 绍兴酒
1大匙 幼盐
1/2大匙 五香粉
1小匙 胡椒粉
1/2小匙 幼糖

适量盐巴 - 涂皮用

做法：
1）五花肉洗净后抹干水分，然后用刀在肉面上直切数劃如图1和2。约2-3公分深度）
2）把腌料充分的涂抹在肉面上和切开的空穴内 如图3和4。
3）把肉块翻覆放在盘子上（皮朝上)，盛放在冰箱内（冰格下层, 不必加盖)。冷藏2-3天，待皮风干。
4）准备烤箱，盘内注入适量清水，加上烤架，并把肉块从冰箱拿出直接铺在铐架上（皮朝上）。
5）在肉皮上铺上适量盐巴（如图6)，涂抹均匀，然后盛入预热烤箱以250度先烤20分钟，让皮面出现少许泡泡时再将肉块取出，把表面的盐巴去除。
6）把肉再盛入烤箱内，继续以250度C 烤约20-25分钟至熟透及表面长满金黄泡泡及香脆，取出，待冷卻后即可切块食用。