Chinese roast pork belly recipe

Chinese belly pork is actually very simple to make. Top tip: prick it all over and apply salt and lemon juice. Let it dry for at least 8 hours (overnight is even better), and you'll have the perfect crispy pork belly.

Watch the video of chef Kenneth Poon making perfect roast pork belly

Serves 8

• 2.8kg pork belly
• Lemon juice
• 2 soup spoons salt

For the seasoning

• ¼ soup spoon five spice powder
• ¼ soup spoon ginger powder
• 1½ soup spoons sugar
• 1 soup spoon salt
• 4 meat hooks

How to make Chinese roast pork belly

1. Remove or debone the ribs from the pork belly - a good butcher can do this for you. Prick all over the topside of the pork belly skin using a pointed needle or ultra sharp blade of a knife

2. Place the pork belly skin side down, massage the seasoning into the meat side - you will need to rub right into the crevices.

3. Turn the pork belly back over, cover the top of the skin in the lemon juice and hang on to hooks in a cool dry place for about 8 hours until the skin is very dry.

4. Preheat oven to 250°C. Place the pork belly onto a grill tray and place in the oven to roast for around 35 minutes until the top of skin becomes brown and crispy all over.

5. Carefully remove the crackling with a knife, then return the pork belly to the oven for a further 4 minutes.

6. Cut the roast pork belly as you desire and serve hot with hoisin sauce

© Kenneth Poon, Orchid Restaurant, Harrogate