A must have during Chinese New Year (红皮赤壮) and family gatherings as it symbolises wishes for good health. Nobody gets sick of it, neither can they resist a good piece of crispy pork belly especially if its home cooked.
Recipe created / adapted from numerous sources over the years, including but not limited to: Woks of Life, Chinese Crispy Roasted Pork by Garden Time (this is my main reference point for the traditional method), and a Gordon Ramsay cooking show (can't remember which one!)
Use an ice pick, sharp metal skewer or roast pork pick to prick as many tiny holes as you can on the skin. Avoid piercing deep into the fat, and ensure you do not pierce through the skin into the flesh (see notes).
Turn the pork belly upside down. Rub the flesh (not skin) with Chinese cooking wine, five spice powder, salt and pepper. Give the meat a good massage all over including sides while avoiding the skin.
To season the meat overnight, turn skin side up and place in a container. Refrigerate uncovered for 12 hours (max 24 hrs, min 3 hrs).
Remove pork from fridge and hang it up to dry on a rack at least half hour before roasting.
Place pork skin side up on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Fold up sides of foil around the pork like a boat and enclose it snugly (see photo) with a 1.5cm or 1/2" rim above the pork to hold the salt crust in.
Transfer pork to baking tray. Dab skin with paper towels.
Brush skin with vinegar or chinese wine.
Spread rock salt on the skin (the foil edges will stop it from falling down the sides).
Roast in the middle rack for 60 minutes.
Remove pork from oven and transfer onto work surface.
Pre-heat oven to 200-220C or switch to grill/broiler on medium high (if your oven has the function).
Fold down foil and scrape all the salt off the top and sides. Discard the salt.
When the oven is pre-heated, return the pork to the oven in the middle rack to broil for 10 - 25 minutes, rotating tray once, until skin is golden, crispy and puffed. Do keep an eye on the pork every 5 minutes as it burns very quickly once the skin is sufficiently roasted.
Set to air fry under medium-high setting (160C) for 1 hour.
Remove pork from oven and transfer onto work surface.
Air fry the pork at the highest possible temperature setting in your fryer (if its below 200, the skin might not be as crispy as desired) for 10 minutes.
Check for blisters on the skin for crispiness. Air fry at the highest possible setting for a further 5 minutes then check again. Repeat process until skin is golden, crispy and puffed.
Remove pork onto a clean cutting board for cooked food. Slice into 1 cm thick slices to serve.
Serve neat without sauce or with chili sauce, honey or mustard if desired. You can use American Yellow mustard, English Dijon mustard or wasabi.