I found a very beautiful looking slab of belly pork at the butcher today and couldn’t resist buying it. The slab is about 500 grams and costs about RM8. So, I got home and cannot wait to roast it. Did a bit of Googling and found this post which recommends scalding the rind or the skin.
As I am one who never follow instructions or recipes, I just take the idea of boiling the pork with vinegar and water for a while. Then, I use the satay stick to ‘straighten’ the pork.
I season the pork with :
Pork 500 gram – Give it a quick boil in vinegar and water till the outer layer turned opaque. This will avoid the meat from curling up and I believe will make the skin crackle when roasted?
Shau Hsiang Chinese white cooking wine – splash it
Fish sauce – A few drops for the aroma
Five spice powder – Just sprinkle some and rub the meat thoroughly
1 teaspoon of salt, rub the meat
Leave the meat to season for as long as you can. Put it in the fridge to avoid food poisoning, ok?
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I was too lazy to bring out my grill pan, skewer and stuffs so I just poke the meat with satay stick and place a few garlic below so that the meat doesn’t stick to the pan. I only use a simple aluminium cookie tray.
I roasted the pork for sometime. I started with 5 minute grill, 30 minutes at 200 deg celcius, 30 minutes at 100 deg celcius to keep warm and finally another 10 minutes with grill again. Depending on the thickness of your pork, I think roasting at 200 deg. for 40 minutes will suffice. And like Jamie Oliver always recommend, crank up your temperature to really high 10 minutes before you finish to get the skin crackling.
The finishing? Really pretty looking siu yoke. The kind which you won’t get from shops because the roasted pork was still warm, tender and the skin crispy.
It makes a nice dish for dinner. I cooked baby french beans with tofu and some soup. Yummy!
However, there is one flavour that is lacking in the roasted pork compared to those we bought from the stall. I am not sure what it is but if I got a chance, I will ask my sister-in-law who used to sell roasted pig at the market. I am sure she knows the secret recipe.
5 thoughts on “Recipe : Roasted, crackling pork Chinese style aka siu yoke”
babe_kl
(July 25, 2008 - 11:29 am)psssttt the secret ingredient was larm yue (red fermented beancurd) hehe
Calvin Kong
(July 25, 2008 - 3:58 pm)I made this a while back.
http://calvinkong.com/?p=22
as a roast pork fanatic lover, i also notice my version lack a distinct fragrance flavour from those u get from chicken rice stall. and i also use namyue already together with all the ingredient u used.
and i dunno why my one is still “porky smelly” when eat..
either i should boil it with water first like wat u did to get rid the smell.. or i didn’t use enough seasoning as the meat part is still quite “whitish” as compare to those u get outside is “reddish”.. also i think i didn’t put enough salt to help cover the pork taste..
anyway, it created a mess in my oven.. i dun think i want to reattempt it anytime soon.. 😀
lilian
(July 25, 2008 - 10:22 pm)calvin – I suspect they use some ammonia powder (chau fun) that they use for making yau char kwai lah.
babe – Beside that lam yue, there is something else. Wait when I meet my SIL, I ask her and I tell you the secret. Hahaha.
babe_kl
(July 29, 2008 - 10:27 am)wah got something else lagi? my marinade only got lamyue, chopped garlic, salt and 5 spice powder…
Rachel
(July 31, 2008 - 11:21 am)Hmm…thanks for your tips, I had not yet try to cook this before but will try it when my husband is back.
will add soy sauce, chopped garlic, a little pepper while marinade :p