Roast Pork or Siew Yoke -- feast to die for?

Crackling all the way.

There is nothing like a good "Siew Yoke" roast pork! When we were growing up in Klang, there was a man on motorcycle who came to peddle Siew Yoke and Char Siew (BBQ Pork). We called him "Char Siew Sok" or Uncle BBQ Pork. Sometimes relatives would buy us roast and BBQ pork from other places but we never quite liked them the way we liked Uncle BBQ Pork's.

For many years, I have wondered how to get the crackling to be really crispy, and mom didn't have an oven, so we never made roast pork at home. Our old neighbour whom my mom endearingly calls "Si Lai" knows how to do BBQ pork over a tin can mounted on top of a charcoal stove. We never did have to learn as she always gave us some as a treat.

Lately my friend M has given me some lessons on how she does her roast pork. M has perfected her pork down to a fine art, so she is rightly my "sifu" in this dish. My past experiences with roast pork have always been dissapointing as the crackling never quite crackled and bits and pieces of the crackling would be rubbery.

The trick, M says, is in the salting process. Throw in heaps of salt, and keep the skin dry before putting the meat in the oven.

Something wicked, something divine!

So here's my version of Roast Pork, done with reasonable success according to M's instructions. Roast pork is perfect with apple crumble (if you are doing a Western-style meal). If it is Chinese meal, chop up heaps of chilled cucumber to go!

1) Get a reasonably good size piece of pork belly. Have the butcher score the top of the belly (doing it yourself can be hard if your knife is not sharp), more is better here.
2) Rub sufficient 5-spice powder all over the piece of belly. (This is optional).
3) Throw in heaps of rock salt and rub it all over the belly (both sides).
4) Throw more rock salt on top of the belly. Set aside with a teatowel on top. Keep in fridge for a few hours.
5) Set oven temp to 250 (highest) (for 15 mins).
6) Place pork belly, skin side up, in heated oven for 20-25 minutes on top most rack. Wait till skin starts to crackle. Move the meat around occasionally to get all sides covered.
7) After 25 minutes, turn your oven's heat down to 150 and roast in the middle rack, for 1.5 hrs (this is for a 1.5-2.5 kg piece of belly). Place a small metal bowl with water, on bottom rack, to keep the pork moist.
8) After 1.5 hrs, take meat aside and rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

You can use the drippings to make a gravy if you have roasted potatoes and other veggies to go with this. Otherwise, a good old combination of dark soy sauce and chilly is perfect.

(Health warning: Not a dish to be had too often!)