Ingredients
1 piece of pork with rib bones and hard edge (about 7500 g / 16.5 lbs), 1750 g (about 3.9 lbs) double-sesame crispy pastries, 750 g (about 3 cups) clear broth.
Seasonings
100 g Shaoxing wine, 25 g sesame oil, 20 g sweet bean paste, 15 g each of ginger and scallions, 10 g each of salt and sugar, 5 g each of Sichuan peppercorns and sliced garlic.
Instructions
1. Scrub the pork belly clean, trim it neatly, and use bamboo skewers to poke several holes between the rib bones. Pat dry, then insert a double-pronged iron roasting fork horizontally through the center of the meat. Place dry firewood in the stove and let the flames rise about 30–40 cm (12–16 inches) above the opening. Hold the fork handle and turn the skin side of the meat toward the flames, focusing on the edges and corners, while continuously rotating the fork left and right. Once a thin layer of charred skin flakes off on its own (known as "floating the skin"), remove the meat from the fire, wipe the fork tips clean, take the meat off, and rinse it in warm water. Gently scrape off any remaining charred skin with a small knife, pat dry, then rub the meat with a mixture of ginger, scallion, salt, and Sichuan peppercorn juice that has been soaked in cooking wine. Wrap in clean gauze and let it rest for half an hour.
2. Place red-hot charcoal in the fire pit, re-skewer the pork square with the skin side up, and slowly roast the thickest part of the back by moving the skewer left and right until the meat is cooked through (commonly called "hanging the belly"). Push the charcoal to the sides of the pit, then turn the pork to roast the skin side down. At this point, rotate the skewer quickly so the rendered fat coats the skin without dripping into the pit. When the skin turns golden brown, brush with sesame oil while continuing to roast until tapping the skin with chopsticks produces a crisp, bubbling sound. Remove the skewer from the fire pit, brush with sesame oil once more, wipe the skewer tips clean, and pull out the metal skewer. Cut off the entire piece of crispy skin with a knife, then slice it into rectangular strips. Arrange the strips back on top of the pork square in their original shape, crispy side up, and place on a large round platter. Finely chop the scallion whites and slice the garlic. Mix sweet bean paste with sugar and sesame oil, and serve in a small dish alongside a bowl of premium clear broth and double-sesame crackers. This dish features a golden, appetizing color, elegant presentation, savory and crispy flavor, and is refreshing without being greasy.