Cowboy Cooking: Chinese Style Belly Pork

Today I want to discuss a true staple food in cowboy cuisine, and the basis of every healthy nutrition: belly pork.

Should I ever publish a cookbook, it will most likely be something like ‘100 Variations of Belly Pork’.

Here’s a preview and a personal favorite: Chinese Style Belly Pork. The preparation is extremely simple, and the result is nothing short of amazing.

Here’s what you need for two people:

• 1 1/3 pounds pork belly with skin attached
• Dark soy sauce (I prefer the Pearl River Bridge brand)
• Five-spice powder
• Salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pork, and simmer for approx. 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, rub the sides and the bottom with dark soy sauce. DO NOT cover the skin, as the soy sauce will burn in the oven. Rub the sides and bottom with a generous amount of five-spice and a good amount of salt. Rub the skin with salt only. After the initial cooking, the skin is very soft and can be scored into a grid pattern, if you so desire. Make sure to cut the skin only, not into the meat.

Place your pork in the fridge for several hours or overnight, uncovered, to let the skin dry out. Make sure there are no soy sauce drippings on your plate.

When you’re ready to go, preheat your oven to 125° to 160° C (260° to 320° F). Don’t go any higher, or your roast will burn. Put the pork on an oven rack in the center of your oven and be sure to place a baking pan underneath to catch the drippings.

Depending on the thickness, at 125° C this will take three to three and a half hours; at 160° C it should be well done in about two hours. In true cowboy style, I prefer the slower way.

When your roast is done, turn the heat up to 220° C (430° F) and use the grill/broil option, if your oven has it. Lightly brush the skin with some of the drippings from the pan beneath. This will help the skin to pop.

At this point, keep a close eye on your roast through the oven window. The time span between ‘perfectly popped and crispy’ and ‘totally burned’ is very, very narrow.

Remove it from the oven, wrap it in aluminum foil, and let it rest for about ten minutes.

In the meantime, cut up some bok choy and stir-fry it with a few spoonfuls of the bacon drippings. When you’re almost done, add salt to taste. Serve with steamed white rice.

Bon Appetit!