Barbecue pork belly
- Prepare
- overnight
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 4–6
This pork belly takes no time to cook on the barbecue, but marinating it overnight will give you great flavour and crackling.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg/3lb 5oz pork belly
- 3 tbsp sea salt
- 2 star anise, ground
- 1 large orange, zest only
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 200ml/7fl oz olive oil
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Method
Make sure you or your butcher score the pork skin well (using a small, sharp kitchen knife or a clean DIY knife) – nice fine scores will make better crackling. Mix the salt, ground star anise and the orange zest together in a bowl then rub this mixture well into the skin, making sure the salt goes into all the cuts of the pork rind.
Using a mini blender or a pestle and mortar, add the bay leaves, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese five-spice and blend to a paste, then slowly add the olive oil while mixing. Set aside.
Leave the pork to dry overnight in the fridge; do not cover as you want it to dry.
Heat a barbecue or griddle and cut the pork into thin slices. Place the pork slices onto the hot griddle or barbecue and brush with the spiced marinade. Cook each side for a few minutes, or until cooked through and the skin is crisp.
