🤤🧧 Dad’s 3 Essential Chinese New Year Recipes! (必備年菜)

pork belly

🥗Healthier: chicken thighs

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Chicken thighs offer lower fat while still being juicy.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: liquid aminos

Tamari is gluten-free and offers a similar flavor.

five-spice powder

🥗Healthier: cinnamon and cloves

💰Cheaper: mixed spices

Cinnamon and cloves can mimic the warm spices in five-spice.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: agave syrup

Honey provides sweetness with a different flavor profile.

Score the skin of the pork belly in a crosshatch pattern.

Rub salt and five-spice powder all over the pork, including the scored skin.

Marinate the pork for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up.

Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl; brush over the pork.

Roast the pork for 30 minutes until the skin starts to bubble.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting for 1 hour.

Baste the pork with cooking oil every 20 minutes for even crisping.

Once cooked, increase the temperature back to 450°F (230°C) for 10 minutes to crisp the skin further.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Cooking Techniques

Spice Level:

Allergens