The Secret to Perfect Crispy Hakka Pork Belly 客家脆皮五花肉 Singapore Zi Char Chinese Crunchy Pork Recipe

rice vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar offers a similar acidity with added flavor.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: coconut aminos

Tamari is gluten-free while coconut aminos is lower in sodium.

cooking oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil is healthier with a higher smoke point.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey is a natural sweetener, while brown sugar is often less expensive.

Cut the pork belly into two pieces: one with skin and one without skin, approximately 275 g and 235 g respectively.

To remove the skin, cut halfway through the meat until you reach the skin, then anchor the knife at a 30 to 45° angle and push the skin off.

Slice the pork belly thinly to ensure a crispy texture.

For the marinade, add 20 g of fermented red tofu and a little bit of the red color sauce.

Add 0.5 tbsp of oyster sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of shaoxing wine, and 1 clove of grated garlic to the tofu.

Add 25 ml of water and mix until there's hardly any water left.

Add 3 tbsp of corn flour, 1.5 tbsp of rice flour, a pinch of baking soda, and a few dashes of black pepper. Mix until well coated.

If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit of water to achieve a thick yogurt-like consistency.

Add a little bit of cooking oil to the mixture and mix again.

Marinate the pork for at least 1 hour, preferably 3 to 4 hours.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Use a bamboo chopstick to check if the oil is hot enough (bubbles should rise).

Remove the pork from the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before frying for even cooking.

Add the marinated pork to the hot oil, frying in batches if necessary. Do not move them until a crust forms.

If the oil gets too hot, reduce the heat. Fry until the pork is light golden brown.

Remove the first batch of pork and continue frying the second batch.

For double frying, heat the oil to medium-high until smoking, then add the pork back in to crisp it up further.

Fry until the pork is dark brown and crispy, then remove from oil.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens