Restaurant Secrets: Make Crispy Pork Belly Like MICHELIN Restaurants

"After being open just a year, this Chinese restaurant became Thailand’s first to earn one MICHELIN Star, and its crispy pork belly reflects Chef Qiu Xiaogui’s obsession with the perfect bite: fresh pork from about 19 kg pigs is marinated simply with five-spice powder and salt, then steamed to roughly 70% doneness before being fan-dried for 12 hours in a separate room to maximize dryness. It is barbecued, not fried, at a precise 400°F for about 75 minutes, with the slab taken out every 10 to 15 minutes to scrape the skin around five times so it crisps evenly without burning, and soy sauce is avoided so the surface stays dry. This traditional Chinese approach, over gas or wood fire, yields crackling that stays crunchy for days and can even handle a microwave reheat; at the table, a lightly sweet house mustard is offered, though when the pork is done right, nothing else is needed." - Pruepat 'Maprang' Songtieng