Thịt Heo Quay - Crispy Roast Pork REVISITED

I have been making crispy pork for some time now.  One thing that I hate about making this dish was the skin part.  It was tedious work to poke the skin and scoring the skin so that it was bubble up and be crispy. It occurred to me that I could boil the pork, skin side down only to soften the skin before scoring and poking it.  That one extra step made it so much easier!!

1 to 1.5lb of pork belly
1/8 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
3 tsp Kosher salt divided 2 to 1
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1.5 tsp of sugar
2 cloves garlic minced finely
.5 tsp baking soda

Wash and clean the pork belly.  Take a pan and add some water.  Boil the pork belly, skin side down.  You just need enough water to cover the skin portion of the cut.  Remove when the skin looks "puffy" or soft to the touch.  Score diamond cuts into the meaty side of the meat and take a toothpick or skewer and poke holes into the skin, being careful not to poke too far into the fat layer.  Mix together the Chinese 5-spice, 1 tsp of salt, sugar, minced garlic, and black pepper and rub into the meaty sides, making sure that you don't touch the skin side.

Rub the baking soda on the skin and wipe off any excess.  Let the pork belly rest in the fridge for a couple of hours so the meat can marinade.  Heat up the oven to 350-degrees.  Before putting it in the oven, rub the remaining 2 tsp of salt on the skin and place it on a raised baking rack.  Cook with the skin side down for about 35-40 mins.  Take the meat out of the oven and flip the pork belly over and wipe off any excess fat.  You can use skewers and stab any extra holes so that the skin can bubble up and become crispy.  Place the meat back on the highest rack, closest to the broiler element and allow it to cook and dry up.  This step, you want to watch with the oven door open so to make sure it doesn't burn.  If there is a lot of fat, use paper towel to blot off the excess to ensure maximum crispiness.

Once done, let the pork belly rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Cutting tip:  You want to cut through the meaty side first and stop at the skin. Once at the skin, use the other hand to whack down on the knife or otherwise the crispy skin will come off as one piece.