Cantonese-style crispy pork with spicy noodles
Succulent meat with the most divine crackling – delicious!
Serves 4 • Ready in 1 hr 25 mins, plus overnight marinating
2tbsp rice wine vinegar, plus extra for brushing
1tsp Chinese five spice
1tbsp brown sugar
½tsp smoked sea salt
1 garlic clove, grated
1kg pork belly
Coarse rock salt for baking (enough to cover the whole skin in an even layer) 1tsp vegetable oil
For the spicy noodles:
550g fresh egg noodles
2tsp crispy chilli oil
1tbsp sesame seed oil
Juice of 1 lime
Small pack coriander, roughly chopped (reserve some leaves to garnish)
Roasted peanuts and sliced red chilli, to garnish (optional)
1 The night before, mix together the rice wine vinegar, five spice, sugar, smoked sea salt and garlic. Rub over the pork meat but do not put any on the pork skin. Transfer to a dish or container. Pat the skin dry and use a sharp knife to pierce all over. The more little holes the better. Be careful not to cut too deep, as you don’t want to reach the layer of fat below the skin. Brush with a little rice wine vinegar. Leave in the fridge uncovered overnight. 2 Heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Transfer the pork to a sheet of foil and create a tight parcel covering the meat, but leaving the skin exposed. Pat dry then carefully pour over the coarse rock salt in an even layer, covering all the skin, but avoid any falling down the sides to the meat.
3 Transfer the foil parcel to a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 45 mins.
Heat the grill to medium-high. 4 Open the parcel and carefully remove the salt from the skin. Brush the skin with vegetable oil then grill for 10 mins until crispy – keep a close watch and cover any bits that are cooking too quickly with foil. Remove from the grill and leave to rest for 20 mins.
5 Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the pack instructions then toss together with the oils, lime juice and coriander. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with peanuts and red chilli, if using. Slice the pork and serve with the noodles.
Per serving: 1,028 cals, 64g fat,
20g sat fat, 41g carbs
TIP: Get a joint of pork belly that’s even in size and has a good layer of fat. If you’d like to serve it with a condiment, a traditional option is hot mustard – the combination of sweet, succulent pork and fiery mustard is a must-try