Crispy roasted pork belly

Step 1

Place pork belly, skin-side up, on a wire rack over the sink. Pour over 2 cups (500ml) boiling water to scald the pork skin (this will help the skin crisp up into crunchy crackling). Pat skin dry thoroughly with kitchen towel and place pork, uncovered, in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Step 2

To make the marinade, combine the honey, five spice and tamari in a bowl, season to taste and stir to combine. Remove pork from fridge and rub marinade evenly over the flesh side of the pork (do not rub into skin). Place pork, skin-side up, on a chopping board. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make incisions all over skin, being careful not to score all the way through to the flesh.

Step 3

Place pork, skin-side up, on an ovenproof wire rack that will fit inside a roasting pan. Place rack over a tray or large plate to catch any drips and transfer to refrigerator. Leave pork uncovered overnight for skin to dry out (the drier the skin, the better the crackling).

Step 4

The next day, bring pork to room temperature and preheat oven to 220°C. Transfer pork and wire rack to a roasting pan. Rub skin well with the sesame oil and scatter all over with 1 tbs salt flakes. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 150°C. Roast for a further 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes or until tender (to test, pierce the meat with a skewer; you should feel no resistance). Increase oven to 220°C and roast for a further 15 minutes or until the pork has crackling all over (the edges of the pork will blacken and caramelise). Remove pork from oven and rest, uncovered, in a warm place for 15 minutes. To serve, cut into 1cm slices.