Name: Roast Pork (Heo Quay)
Yield: Serves 4-6 as part of a Shared Meal
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch); 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 2 tablespoons annatto oil (see note); 1 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced; light soy sauce, for dipping; 1 teaspoon five-spice; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) pork belly, on the bone

Preparation info

Serves
4-6
as part of a Shared Meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

About

AT HOC MON MARKETS WITH MY AUNTY EIGHT, I SAW WONDERFULLY COLOURED ROASTED PORK HANGING FROM HEAVY HOOKS. ITS SKIN WAS CRACKLING, THE FAT DRIPPING WITH FLAVOUR – ALL I NEEDED WAS A CRISP BAGUETTE AND A SLIM CUCUMBER. I TURNED BEHIND ME TO FIND VENDORS SELLING JUST THAT!

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) pork belly, on the bone
1

Method

Dip the skin of the pork belly briefly into boiled, hot water, taking care to keep the flesh out of the water. Clean the skin by scraping the surface with a knife to remove the outer layer; the skin should be a consistent white colour. Wash the skin, then, using a large sharp knife, score the skin in either parallel lines or a crosshatch pattern.

Combine