Crisp Chinese Roast Pork with Steamed Rice
Serves 4-6
1 x 1.5kg (3lb) piece of thick belly pork with the rind
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons Maldon sea salt flakes
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1 quantity Steamed Chinese greens in oyster sauce (see page 171) and Steamed Rice (see page 175), to serve
Method
1. Spike the skin of the pork with a fine skewer or a larding needle as many times as you can, going through into the fat but not so deep that you go into the flesh. Then pour a kettle full of hot water over the skin, leave it to drain and then dry it off well.
2. Heat a dry, heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Add the Sichuan and black peppercorns and shake them around for a few seconds until they darken slightly and start to smell aromatic. Transfer them to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Tip them into a bowl and stir in the sea salt, five spice powder and sugar.
3. Turn the pork flesh-side up on a tray and rub the flesh all over with the spice mixture. Set it aside somewhere cool to marinate for 8 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Turn the pork skin-side up and place it on a rack resting on top of a roasting tin of water. Roast the pork for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4 and roast it for a further 2 hours, topping up the water in the roasting tin now and then when necessary.
5. Increase the oven temperature once more to 230˚C/450˚F/Gas Mark 8 and continue to roast the pork for a further 15 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and leave it to cool. It is best served warm.
6. Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and arrange them on a warmed platter. Serve with the Chinese greens in oyster sauce and steamed rice.
( Last Updated: 11-10-2008 )
