Crispy Pork Belly Lechon Kawali

INGREDIENTS:

• 1lb pork belly
• 1 tsp Dry Ginger Powder
• 1 tsp Five Spice Powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Wash the meat under cold water.
• Immerse the pork belly meat in a pot of water and boil for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
• Take away the pork and rest it in a strainer to let it dry for about 15 minutes. You may take the additional step of patting the pork belly skin dried up with a paper towel for extra crispy skin.
• Poke the pork with a knife a few times and rub the spices and salt on the flesh only (not the skin). We suggest layering the spices in the following order: 5 spice powder, spiced ginger powder, white pepper and salt.
• Let it cure for 1 hour, though over night is better for a deeper flavor.
• In a oven or a large cast iron pan, fill up it with oil sufficient to cover the skin of the pork belly. Stay away from using olive oil since it has a short smoking point. You can put the pork belly in pan while the oil is still cold to prevent splatter. WARNING!!! The pork will splash a lot, so it is better to use an oven with a heavy lid or use a splash screen to place over your frying pan.
• Fry the skin side first for roughly 5 mins or until golden brown and crispy, turn it on the side and fry it only for a min or two, repeat on all sides (it is best not to fry it on the flesh side for too long as it will toughen the meat) Frying is a skill learned over time, so if the skin is burnt, you can scratch it off with a kitchen knife.
• Let it rest until cool to the feel and cut into large  slices.

Source : IceKramBol Recipes