Roast Belly Pork with Chinese Spices

WITH a pot of brown rice and some stir-fried or steamed greens, these strips of pork belly have a warm, spicy flavour.

We sometimes add a chilli for extra heat, but generally the ginger and garlic provide enough. A half teaspoon of ground Sichuan pepper will give an extra depth to the flavours.

Serves 4

8 slices of pork belly 2cm (¾ inch) thick with their rinds on

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

2 tbsp soy sauce

4 cloves of garlic

3cm (1 inch) piece of ginger

Pepper

Put the pork into a bowl and add the lemon juice, five spice powder and soy sauce. Peel the garlic and ginger, chop the garlic and grate the ginger, and add to the pork. Season with pepper and mix the whole lot together. Leave to marinate for as long as you can; even 30 minutes will help. Heat the oven to gas mark 6/200C/400F Lay the pork strips flat in a single layer in a steel, enamel or ceramic roasting tin or dish. Pour over the liquid from the marinade. Roast for 45 minutes, then turn over the pieces of pork and finish roasting for another 15-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like pork rinds.