Crisp Belly Pork Roast

Ask your butcher to score the skin finely for this, as the crackling is essential. The first brief roasting at the higher temperature is necessary to set the crackling on the route to crispness. I rather like a pile of Chinese greens, lightly steamed, with this.

Ingredients (Serves 5-6)

belly pork – 1-1.5kg, boned, skin intact and finely scored
For the rub: garlic – 3 cloves
light soy sauce – 2 tbs
groundnut oil – a tbs
salt – 2 tsp
Chinese five-spice powder – a level tsp

Put the pork in a china or glass dish. Peel and crush the garlic to a paste, stirring in the soy, oil, salt and five-spice powder. Spread this paste over the skin and underside of the pork. Leave it to marinate for a good 4 hours, if not overnight.

Salad of broccoli and roast pork. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin
Set the oven at 220°C/Gas 8. Place the pork in a roasting tin then cook, skin-side up, for about 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 200°C/Gas 6 and continue cooking for a further 40-50 minutes till the skin is dark and crisp.

Leave for 10 minutes to rest before carving.