Singaporean-Malaysian🥩 Meat

Crispy Hakka Pork Belly

Name: Crispy Hakka Pork Belly
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Singaporean-Malaysian
Ingredients: 275 g pork belly; 20 g fermented red tofu; ½ tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing Huatiao); 1 clove garlic, grated; 25 ml water; 3 tbsp cornflour; 1½ tbsp rice flour; a pinch bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); a few dashes white pepper; cooking oil

⏱ 240 min🍽 Serves 3

Thinly sliced pork belly marinated in a rich fermented red tofu mixture, then shallow-fried until golden and crispy. Double-fried for maximum crispness with juicy, flavorful meat. The distinctive taste comes from the fermented red tofu marinade. Serve as an appetizer on its own or with rice as part of a main course.

Adapted from a video by Spice N' Pans

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

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

pork bellyskin removed (weight taken before removing), thinly sliced275 g
fermented red tofuabout one cube plus a little of the red sauce20 g
oyster sauce½ tbsp
sugar1 tsp
Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing Huatiao)1 tbsp
garlic, grated1 clove
wateradd more if the mixture seems dry after adding the dry ingredients25 ml
cornflour3 tbsp

Steps

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1
Prepare the pork: remove the skin by inserting a knife at a 30-45 degree angle between the meat and skin, then slowly push the knife forward to separate them on both sides. Remove the meat block and slice it thinly and evenly.
2
Make the marinade: combine fermented red tofu with a little of its red sauce in a bowl. Add oyster sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, grated garlic, and water. Mix well with your hand until there is hardly any visible liquid.
3
Add the dry ingredients: add the sliced pork to the marinade. Mix in cornflour and rice flour to enhance crispiness. Add a pinch of baking soda and a few dashes of white pepper. Mix thoroughly until the pork is evenly coated. Add a little water if the mixture is too dry.
4
Add oil and marinate: the mixture should resemble thick yogurt. Add a little cooking oil to help prevent sticking during frying. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 3-4 hours for better flavor.
5
Heat the oil: heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Test the temperature by inserting a bamboo chopstick into the oil—if bubbles rise up, the oil is hot enough. Remove the marinated pork from the fridge 20-30 minutes before frying for even cooking.
6
First fry: slowly add the marinated pork to the hot oil. Do not move the pieces until a crust forms. If the oil gets too hot, reduce the heat (the sugar and garlic in the marinade brown easily). Fry until the pieces are light golden brown and cooked through, then remove and drain. Fry in batches if needed to avoid crowding.
7
Reheat the oil for double frying: heat the oil to medium-high heat until it starts to smoke. Return the first batch of pork, spreading the pieces out and moving them around to maximize crispness and remove excess oil. Fry quickly until dark golden brown, then remove and drain.
8
Serve: once all the pork is fried, plate and enjoy. The exterior should be extremely crispy with tender, juicy meat full of fermented red tofu flavor. Serve as is or with rice.

Crispy Hakka Pork Belly

Ingredients

Steps

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