Crispy Pork Belly with Silky Pumpkin Puree - a short-cut way to ensure a crispy pork skin

The saying goes, "eat according to the season," and autumn is the perfect time to enjoy pumpkins. Eating pumpkins in autumn isn't just for Halloween. As we enter October and November, the weather gradually becomes dry. Eating more pumpkins not only boosts immunity but also prevents symptoms of autumn dryness.

A lot of people think that to achieve a crispy crackling on roasted pork belly, they must soak the pork skin in white vinegar for several hours, a process that seems dauntingly complex. However, to achieve crispy skin, it's not necessary to be so elaborate. Just follow these two steps, and you can make perfectly crispy roasted pork belly:

1. One of the secrets to crispy skin is "pricking", where you can use a meat needle or the tip of a knife to continuously puncture the pork skin. It's essential to pierce through the skin to the first layer of fat, allowing the pork fat to seep onto the surface during baking, creating a frying effect along the edges.
   

2. After pricking the holes, lightly apply some white vinegar on the surface of the pork skin and let it sit for about 10 minutes. This allows the skin to absorb the acidity of the vinegar. Then, you can sprinkle a layer of coarse salt on top to draw out moisture. This method will achieve a crispy pork belly skin that crackles when bitten.

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Coat the outer skin with white vinegar, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then sprinkle a layer of coarse salt on top. This method will also achieve crispy pork belly skin.

This time I used the smaller Toshiba Q20 steam convection oven to make the roasted pork belly. Its hot air convection technology ensures even baking, heating every part of the oven chamber uniformly, so there's no uneven popping of the pork skin. Due to the concentrated heat of the oven, this batch of roasted pork belly only needed 50 minutes to cook. However, if you're using a larger oven, you may need an additional 10-15 minutes for the pork skin to fully pop.

At first glance, you might mistake the condiment beneath the roasted pork belly as yellow mustard, but in fact, it's pumpkin puree. Its sweet, smooth texture complements the crispy and rich roasted pork belly perfectly, making it a delightful combination that leaves a lasting impression.

Ingredients (serve 2)

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Roasted Pork Belly

Pork Belly	600克
Onion	½ bulb
Bay Leaves	3 pcs
Whole Black Pepper	1 tsp
Paprika	2 tsp
Ground Black Pepper	1 tsp
White Vinegar	1 tbsp
Course Salt	​80g
Mixed Salad Leaves	to garnish

Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin	300克
Heavy Cream	150 ml
Sea Salt	1 pinch

Steps

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1. Fill a pot with water, add pork belly, onion, bay leaves, and whole black peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium heat and blanch for 10 minutes. Then, remove the pork belly and rinse it under cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper towels (as shown in the small picture).

2. Mix paprika and black pepper powder together. Use this seasoning mixture to evenly coat the meat (do not coat the skin).

3. Poke small holes all over the pork skin using a meat needle or fork, making sure to pierce through to the first layer of fat. Continue until the entire surface is covered with small holes.

4.　Wrap the surface of the pork belly with aluminum foil, leaving the pork skin exposed. Apply white vinegar onto the skin and let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb. Then cover the skin with a layer of coarse salt (as seen in the picture), and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the pork skin to air dry.

5. To make pumpkin puree, peel the pumpkin and slice it. Place the slices on a steaming tray. Start the Toshiba MS2-TQ20SC steam oven in pure steam mode at 100°C and steam for 15 minutes.

6. After steaming the pumpkin slices, remove them and mash them until smooth. Add some cream and a pinch of sea salt, and mix well until smooth. This pumpkin puree is now ready to use.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Remove the coarse salt from the pork belly. Place the whole piece of pork belly into the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes (left small image), depending on the size of the pork belly, or until the surface starts to blister and become rough. Afterward, increase the oven temperature to 230°C and continue roasting for another 20-25 minutes (right small image). Remove from the oven when done.

8. Once the pork belly is done roasting, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a while. Slice the pork belly into pieces. Spread some pumpkin sauce on a plate and place the pork belly pieces on top. Enjoy!