Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly (Thit Heo Quay)

5 from 3 votes

Thit Heo Quay, or Vietnamese Crispy Pork Belly, is an explosion of flavor and texture in every deliciously tender bite! Skin-on pork belly is seasoned and baked to perfection before being placed under the broiler for a crisp, bubbly texture.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Dry Brine Time 1

Total Time 1 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 474

Author Jessica Kwon

Equipment

Ingredients

½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Kosher salt Diamond Crystal
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
2-2¼ lb pork belly slab with skin (see notes)
½ cup coarse salt (see notes)
½ teaspoon cooking oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Season the pork. Set up two small bowls. In the first bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar and 2 teaspoon kosher salt. In the second bowl, combine Chinese five spice, paprika, garlic powder, sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set both aside.
Thoroughly rinse and dry the pork belly as much as possible. Cut 3-4 parallel lines, 1½-2 inches apart, into the meat - make sure you DON'T cut into the fat. Rub the Chinese five spice mixture all over the meat portion, into the cut exposed meat and onto the sides of the meat as well.
Prepare the skin. Then flip the pork belly over so it's skin side up. This is the most important part. Wipe the skin very dry and use a sharp knife to cut very shallow parallel lines about ½ inch apart. Rotate the pork to cut perpendicular lines, creating a crisscross pattern on the skin. Make sure you do not cut into the fat as much as possible. Then use the same knife to poke holes all over the skin.
Use a brush or spoon to pour the vinegar/salt mixture over the skin. Spread evenly all over.
Dry brine. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a metal wire rack inside. Place the pork belly on top of the wire rack, skin side up. Let sit in the fridge uncovered for 24-48 hours. Afterwards, the skin should look dark and matte.
The next day: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a large piece of foil to wrap the meat tightly with foil while leaving the skin exposed on top, like a boat. Leave a ½ inch border of foil all around on top. If your pork belly is uneven in height, place additional foil balls under the shorter areas to make the pork as even in height as possible.
Use a sharp knife to poke more holes into the skin, focusing on areas that are not as dark or dry. Pour the coarse salt onto the skin and pat evenly so no skin in visible.
Roast in the oven for 1 hour.
Take the baking sheet out of the oven and turn on the broiler. Carefully unfold the foil and completely brush all of the coarse salt off. Discard both the salt and foil. Then lightly brush the skin with oil and place pork belly back onto the wire rack.
Broil for 5-10 minutes until pork is crispy and puffy with golden bubbles on top, rotating as needed. If any areas start to char, carefully cover with foil. Let pork rest at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Pork belly: Thit Heo Quay uses skin-on pork belly that is sold in a large singular slab. Although you may be able to find it at your local grocery store, your best bet is to visit an Asian grocery store or specialty butcher shop. Also, try to find pork belly that’s as even in height as possible and has the same thickness of meat, fat, and skin. This will allow for even cooking. Otherwise, some parts of the pork are likely to burn while others will remain rubbery.
Salt: You'll need two types of salt for this recipe. Regular (fine) kosher or pink salt to season the meat and coarse salt to dry out the skin in the initial roast. Large rock or coarse salt is best so it's easy to remove and won't soak into the skin to make it too salty.
Pork skin is tough and rubbery. For even and precise cuts, make sure to use a sharp knife or else you'll risk cutting into the fat. You could also use special tools like an ice pick, sharp metal skewer, or sewing needle - but a sharp knife will be best.
There can be quite a lot of fat sizzling while the pork bakes. So, be sure to turn on the fans, keep it well-ventilated, and be extra careful when turning it around or removing it from the oven!

Nutrition