Chinese Spice Pork Belly

Ingredients

• 2 kg (4½lb) pork belly, fat scored horizontally
• 3 tblsp rapeseed oil
• 1–2 tsp chinese five-spice powder
• 2 garlic bulbs, peeled and sliced in half horizontally
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into thick slices horizontally
• sea salt
• asian greens and sugar snap peas, to serve

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas 3). Rub the pork belly all over with oil, dust with the Chinese five-spice powder and sprinkle with sea salt.
2. Place the garlic bulb halves and onion slices in the base of a large roasting tin and place the pork belly on top, skin-side down. Pour in a few tablespoons of water. Put the roasting tin in the oven and cook for 2½–3 hours.
3. Remove from the oven and turn the pork belly over so that it is skin-side up. Sprinkle the skin with a little extra sea salt.
4. Turn up the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7) and cook the pork for a further 15–20 minutes until the skin is crispy. Carve into thick slices and serve with wilted Asian greens and sugar snap peas.