ROASTED PORK BELLY BUNS

By mahto

Ingredients

• 3 lbs.Uncured Pork Belly, skin on, bone out
• 3 T.Vegetable Oil
• Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp.Chinese Five-Spice Powder
• 1 Package of Steamed Chinese “Pita” Buns
• Hoisin Sauce, for serving2 
• Kirby or Persian Cucumbers, sliced on a bias
• 1 ⁄2 C.Scallion Whites, thinly sliced

Preparation

Step 1

STEP 1
Rub both sides of the pork belly with the vegetable oil. Season with salt, pepper and Chinese five-spice powder.

STEP 2
Roll the belly into a cylinder, skin side out, and tie tightly with butcher’s twine. Place on a spit and roast until tender, with a drip pan underneath to catch the rendered fat, 3.5 hours to 4 hours. To crisp the skin, stop the spit from rotating so that the skin gets broiled and puffy (watch as this will happen quickly). Turn to crisp all sides. Note: If you don’t have a spit, roast the pork in an oven. Tie the belly tightly with the butcher’s twine and place on a rack set inside the roasting pan, with the seam side down. Add about a cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil and roast at 325° for 3.5 hours. Turn the oven up to 500 degrees, remove the foil, and let the skin crisp up for the last 30 minutes.

STEP 3
Remove the belly from the spit, and allow it to rest while you prepare the buns. Prepare a steam basket set over a wok partially filled with boiling water or use a pasta insert elevated over a pot of water. Steam the buns to reheat, about 5 to 10 minutes.

STEP 4
To portion the pork belly, remove the butcher’s twine and slice with a serrated knife. Assemble the buns by layering hoisin sauce, sliced cucumber, scallion whites and a piece of the pork belly. Serve immediately.