Air Fryer Pork Belly with Chinese Five Spice

Are you ready for my latest Air Fryer recipe? Crackling good Pork Belly flavoured with  Chinese Five Spice is absolutely delicious cooked in the Air Fryer. We couldn't get enough of this incredibly tasty pork with the perfect crackle, and I love the unique flavours of the Chinese five spice.

I first referred to this recipe in one of the In My Kitchen posts a little while ago, and finally here is the recipe. The secret to success with this meal is to buy a pork belly that has a good balance of meat and creamy white fat. A good butcher should be able to help you with this request. Some pork belly pieces contain too much fat which doesn't render down enough in the air fryer. Just be specific with your butcher about what your require. The first time I cooked this dish the fat to meat ratio was perfectly balanced, the second time, not so much. That piece was purchased at the supermarket, and it was impossible from the way it was wrapped up to tell how fatty it was.  I learned a lesson from that. Despite that, the flavours are always incredible.

My friends, prepare to be transported to the East when you taste this pork. How good is it to be able to enjoy this dish in your own home?

Ingredients:

1 kg piece scrumptious boneless pork belly, skin scored

1 tbsp sea salt flakes

1 tsp Chinese Five Spice

1 tsp ground white pepper

To serve, some steamed Gai Lan or other Asian leafy vegetables such as Pak Choy or Bok Choy, with a splash of soy sauce, gluten free or low salt will be perfect.

Method:

Prep and cook time: 1 hr 5 min (plus resting)

Before you start cooking, have some paper towels on hand, and dry off the pork belly all over. Lots of patting needed here.

The meat needs to be really dry. This is the secret to seriously good pork crackling.

Now, create your unique spice mix. Into a smallish bowl, add the salt, the Chinese Five Spice, and the white pepper. (Please don't substitute the white pepper with black pepper, Asian recipes generally prefer the use of white pepper.) Mix it all together.

Rub your spice blend into all the nooks and crannies all over your pork. Remember the skin, it needs special attention.  That is the secret to great tasting pork crackling.

Tear off a couple of layers of tin foil, and wrap your pork belly in it, but leave the top uncovered. It's like nesting it in it's own bed. This will keep the pork succulent and juicy, but let's the skin become as crispy as possible.

Place your wrapped-up pork into the air fryer. 

Set the dials on your air-fryer to 180 deg. C and the timer to 60 minutes.

When the air-fryer lets you know the cooking time is completed, lift out your pork and let it rest for about 10 minutes before preparing it for serving. Be aware there are hot and delicious juices resting in the base of the alfoil.

Leaving it to rest for 10 minutes will pay dividends with incredibly tender pork.

Pour the beautiful juices all over your pork. 

Serve your meat on a plate with your choice of Asian vegetables such as Gai Lan or Bok Choy or Pak Choy, or some other stir fried vegetables. Whatever you prefer.

I couldn't find any Gai Lan, which is like Chinese Broccoli, so I bought another Asian green, a Pak Choy, or a Bok Choy, I'm honestly not sure now, but this is what it looked like. Nice and fresh. Broccolini could also be used.

The names Bok Choy and Pak Choy are often used interchangeably when for sale. Bok Choy are varieties with white stems, and Pak Choy should refer to those with green stems. Which makes me think I used Pak Choy. Those stems are more green than white aren't they ? Either way they were delicious steamed. They are both types of Chinese Cabbage. And in case you are interested, the botanical name is Brassica rapa subsp. Chinesis. Thanks to AI for this information. AI loves to just pop up and tell me what I need to know, and even more.

Many of the varieties of Asian greens are available for sale at our Farmer's markets, and the vendors there should know the true name of the varieties they are selling. Asian greens grow very well in my part of the world in the tropics, except that I have tried growing Pak Choy in our garden, and whilst it grew very large and looked promising, the grubs loved it unfortunately. The little blighters had a real field day with it. So if you buy Asian greens at the markets, wash them very well, as there is a good chance they have been sprayed to discourage the grubs.    

The Asian Green section at the supermarket is always beautifully arranged, but it's a bit of a lottery as to what is in stock. 

 I hope you agree with me that this meal is a real flavour bomb. Have you cooked pork in the air fryer before? What is your favourite way to eat pork?

This recipe is based on one I found in a recipe book by Australian Masterchef contestant, Steph de Sousa, called "Air Fryer Queen". 

If you haven't eaten pork for a while, why not get some pork on your fork this weekend without heating up your kitchen. Hope you have a delicious weekend.

Apologies to those readers who don't own an air fryer. If not, you can still enjoy some delicious pork from your conventional oven.

Warm wishes,

Pauline