Recipe: Chinese Roast Pork (Siew Yuk) v2.0

Another must-have dish for us during Chinese New Year reunion dinner is Chinese roast pork aka siew yuk. Siew yuk is a popular dish during CNY as pork symbolizes strength and wealth. In my family, it is usually offered to the ancestors during the prayers (pre-reunion dinner), and then later enjoyed by all at the dinner table.

For us, a good siew yuk must have good fat to lean meat ratio, as well as crispy crackling. I am happy with my previous recipe for homemade siew yuk - the taste is good and the crackling is crispy, however I experimented on different drying methods to see if I could produce the best siew yuk with the crispiest crackling.

This time, we placed it under the hot sun for about 1 hour for the skin to dry up. And yes, we got siew yuk with super crispy crackling, however the downside is you will need to watch it (especially if there are cats or birds lurking around in your neighbourhood), so I think I still prefer to air-dry it under a fan for a few hours. We also got this new rolling tool which helps makes / pricks many small holes in the skin to make the skin crispy ;)

Don't forget to make this easy homemade chilli sauce which goes perfectly with roast meats!

Chinese roast pork belly (Siew Yuk 燒肉)
Recipe by Baby Sumo, adapted from here
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 60-70 minutes
Serves 4-5

Ingredients
2.3kg pork belly
3 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp five spice powder

1-2 tbsp coarse salt

To serve
Homemade chilli sauce


1. Wash the pork belly and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Place the pork belly, skin side up, on a wire rack (with a tray underneath). Prick the pork belly all over with a sharp knife, carving fork or rolling apparatus (as above photo) - the more holes you make, the better. Then, place under hot sun for about 1 hour for the skin to dry up.

2. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the pork belly skin-side. The lines should be diagonal and around an inch apart from one another.

3. Rub 3 tsp of fine salt and 2 tsp five spice powder all over the meat. Place the pork belly on a wire rack under a fan for another 2 hours to dry further.

4.Preheat the oven to 200°C and set to roast mode. Sprinkle coarse salt all over the top (it's ok even if you put a lot, as you can scrape it off later), and place the pork belly on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch the drippings into the preheated oven (in the centre of the oven). Roast for 25 minutes.

5. Change the oven setting to grill mode 230°C and cook for another 45-50 minutes until the crackling is golden brown and crispy. At this point the skins hisses and crackles and should look "bumpy". If there are any burnt bits, just scrape it off using a sharp knife. You will also be able to scrape off all the coarse salt easily.

6. Remove the roasted pork belly from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes, then chop with a meat cleaver into bite-size pieces.

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Durian cendol and chicken rice ball, Melaka

We've been on the move recently with visits to Ipoh and Port Dickson. We added a third to the list right after, with a visit to Melaka. Melaka is a great place to visit with its rich heritage and sightseeing opportunities. Obviously, the food on offer there is not too shabby either!

We had a walk around before heading over to Jonker Street for some cendol and chicken rice.

Old train on display

Melaka has its own T-Rex too!

A visit to A Famosa, the "famous" Portuguese fortress, is warranted if you are a first timer to Melaka. The sun was scorching hot and the walk to the peak of the hill where it is situated left us sweating quite a bit. But it definitely is worth a visit, especially to have a look at a piece of history and also the view from the top of St. Paul's Hill.

The Governer's Museum

Baby D having a breather after a couple of attempts to "hike" the unconventional way

We then made our way towards Jonker Street and our first destination was Chung Wah for some chicken rice balls. A queue had already formed outside the shop, giving an indication of its popularity. We decided to delegate the troops by having a person stand in line, while the others went to get some drinks and cendol from San Shu Gong, which is situated opposite the restaurant. San Shu Gong is most well known for their durian cendol, and sells various snacks such as dodol, traditional biscuits and drinks.

We bought some nyonya kuih from a nearby stall to share.

To cool down ourselves from the sweltering heat outside, we got some cold lime essence drink and also durian cendol.

The durian cendol (RM5.80) was good, among the better ones we have tasted before. We liked that they are generous with their portions and the condiments that come with the cendol. The taste of durian went very well with the thick gula melaka. Definitely a refreshing delight at that time of the day.

"Look, I'm a durian!"

Opening Hours: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (Daily)

Location: San Shu Gong, 33, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka.

Tel: 06-282 8381

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We finally got into Chung Wah restaurant after about 45 minutes of waiting

The restaurant works like clockwork, from the moment you leave the waiting line. You tell the waiter the number of persons in your group and you are ushered to a table where you are offered barley drink (we took two), and the chicken and rice balls are brought to your table automatically. No ordering or deliberating necessary. Seems like the shop owners have decided on this system where the customer does not get a choice. It seems like it helps with the speed at which food/customers flows in and out of the restaurant.

However, we were not overly impressed with the quality of the food on offer here. We felt that the chicken was slightly overcooked, but that might be just our personal taste. In general, the food is alright, but not so much that it would warrant a 45 minute wait, and the general impression of the place gives you the feeling that you get in, eat as fast as possible, and leave in a jiffy.

Opening times: Mon-Fri 8.30am-3pm; Sat-Sun 8.30am - 4pm.

Price: Total bill RM55 - 1 chicken, 20 rice balls, 2 barley drinks.

Location: Chung Wah, 18, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia.

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After lunch, we made our way to Dataran Pahlawan, and had a look at their Doraemon exhibition while enjoying some lower temperatures after the punishing afternoon heat we experienced from before. The kids certainly enjoyed this one!

*This is a guest post by The Unc.

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