Crisp Skin Pork Belly

Ingredients

1 Piece of Belly with the rind (1 - 1.5 Kg)

1 Tbsp Sichuan Peppercorns

1 Tsp Black Peppercorns

2 Tbsp Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

2 Tsp Five Spice Powder

2 Tsp Caster Sugar

Spike the skin of the belly with a fine skewer or larding needle as many times as you can, going through into the fat but not so deep that you go into the flesh. Then pour a kettle full of hot water over the skin, leave it to drain and then dry it off well.
Heat a dry, heavy based frying pan over a high heat.
Add the Sichuan and black Peppercorns and shake them around until they darken slightly and start to smell aromatic. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Tip them into a bowl and stir in the Sea Salt, 5 Spice Powder and sugar.
Turn the Pork flesh side up on a tray and rub the flesh all over with the spice mixture. Set it aside somewhere cool to marinate for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 220℃. Turn the Pork skin side up and place it on a rack, resting on top of a roasting tin of water. Roast the Pork for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees and roast it for a further 2 hours, topping up the water as necessary.
Chop into pieces and serve with stir fried (or steamed) Asian greens in Oyster Sauce.