Five Spiced Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling

My hubby loves pork, me not so much which is why I hardly make pork at home. I love bacon and ham but when it comes to pork meat, I can’t get over that pork after taste.

In Nepal, Newars don’t consume pork. Pig is thought as a dirty animal who rolls in mud and eats garbage. You are not allowed to bring pork meat inside your home or consume it. If you do it, then you are considered as untouchable. However funny thing, wild boar is consumed as delicacy.

I never tasted pork until I came here. One of my housemate used to make mind blowing hot and soupy pork curry. When I tried it first time, the curry was so hot that I didn’t know what pork tasted like. After consuming that curry, I started consuming it but wasn’t a big fan.

These days as I’ve mentioned earlier, we don’t dine out as often and hubby has been missing his favourite dish crispy roast pork. So I decided to make this dish as treat for him.

The look on his face was priceless when he saw it coming out of the oven. His excitement gave me a real sense of contentment that you get when you cook for your loved one and they love it.

I’m amazed it tasted so good even I ate it.

So here’s my recipe for five spice pork belly with crispy crackling.

Ingredients
A slab Pork belly
6 cloves of garlic
Thumb sized piece of ginger
1 tablespoon of Five Spice powder
8-10 sichuan peppers
4 red chillies
2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Salt as per taste

In mortar and pestle, pound garlic, ginger, chillies and sichuan pepper. Add five spice powder and make a fine paste. Add vegetable oil and mix. Set aside.

Score a crisscross pattern in pork skin with a sharp knife. Rub in the spice mix to coat pork belly. Leave it in the fridge overnight or at least for 2-3 hours for flavours to infuse pork.

Pre heat oven to 240 degrees celcius for 5 minutes or until oven is hot.

Scrape off the spice rub off skin (only skin) and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub in 2 tablespoon of salt on the skin and rest if the meat.

Place it in a oven tray and roast it for 20 minutes to crisp up the skin so it’s crackling. Turn the heat to 200 degrees celcius and cook for 40 minutes.

When ready, let it rest for 25 minutes. Cut up pork belly into bite sizes pieces and serve it with steam rice and veggie stir fry. Enjoy crispy cracklings with succulent pork belly. It’s so yummy. (PS- I left it for 5-10 minutes longer as I got distracted, hence why it is slightly charred but nonetheless it’s so good)

Salt and Pepper Prawns (Shrimps)

I love prawns and Salt and Pepper Prawns is my absolute favorite. It is a great appetizer and a finger food for parties.

I rarely go out and dine these days so I make all my favourites dishes at home. It works out pretty good for me as I get to veg out in my trackies and gorge on these delicious meals without leaving the comfort of my warm home. It costs less to make these at home and you have more on the plate.

Anyway this is what I cooked last night for dinner. Simple, fast and delicious dish.

Ingredients

500 grams of shelled and deveined prawns
3 tablespoons of plain flour
2 teaspoon of five spice powder
1/2 onion finely chopped
3 chillies finely chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
Small piece of ginger finely chopped
1 sprig of spring onion (scallion) finely chopped
Oil for frying
Salt as per taste
1 teaspoon of ground pepper

In a zip lock bag, put flour, 1 teaspoon of five spice powder, salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper and mix well.

Rinse prawn in cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Put the prawn in flour mix in the zip lock bag and seal the bag. Shake the bag gently to coat prawns with flour mix.

Heat oil in the pan for deep frying. When oil is hot, deep fry prawn in batches.

When batter is golden and crispy (takes 3-4 minutes of frying on high heat), remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl lined with paper to drain excess oil. It can be eaten as it is but I highly recommend following the next step to pack the flavours in this dish.

In another pan, heat a tablespoon of oil, fry onion, spring onion, chillies, garlic and ginger for 2 minutes. Add remaining of five spice powder, pepper and a dash of salt to season the mix.

Add deep fried prawn and stir well with the mix for a minute.

Serve hot.

Please try this recipe, it is superyum. Enjoy 😀