Crisp Chinese Roast Pork

Crisp Chinese Roast Pork

1 x 1.5 kg piece of thick belly pork with the rind

1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 tablespoons maldon sea salt flakes

2 teaspoons five spice powder

2 teaspoons caster sugar

Spike the skin of the pork with a fine skewer or a larding needle as many times as you can, going through into the fat but not so deep that you go into the flesh.

Then pour a kettle full of hot water over the skin, leave it to drain and then dry it off well.

Heat a dry, heavy based frying pan over a high heat.

Add the sichuan & black peppercorns and shake them around for a few seconds until they darken slightly and start to smell aromatic.

Transfer them to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Tip them into a bowl and stir in the sea salt, five spice powder and sugar.

Turn the pork flesh-side up on a tray and rub the flesh all over with the spice mixture.

Set it aside somewhere cool for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180C fan.

Turn the pork skin side up and place it of a rack resting on top of a roasting tin of water.

Roast the pork for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 160C fan and roast it for a further 2 hours, topping up the water in the roasting tin now and then when necessary.

Increase the oven temperature once more to 210C fan and continue to roast the pork for a further 15 minutes.

Then remove it from the oven and leave it to cool. It is best served warm

Cut the pork into bite sized pieces and arrange them on a warmed platter.