I cook roasted pork like Ben Hong's recipe, but there are some significant differences. Here's the recipe; Wash pork belly in cold water. Pour boiling water over the skin, then prick with a metal skewer many times (this is quite difficult and may bend the skewer). The boiling water makes it crispier (apparently). It seems to work and it is also used to make the skin crispier in crispy skin chicken. You might find it a bit scary to pour boiling water over meat then leave it for a long time - so do I but I've never got sick from this. Then score the fleshy underside with a knife and rub a mixture of five spice powder, salt and pepper. I've seen a recipe that calls for schechuan pepper ground as well, but since star anise and schechuan pepper are both in five spice powder, I suggest saving your time by just using it. If you use schechuan pepper, first cook them for 2-3 minutes in a pan then grind in a spice grinder. Now leave in a cool dry place for some time (around 6 hours seems a good balance between maximum flavour and minimum chance of food poisoning to me) to marinade, preferably on a rack. Cook for 15, then 40, then 15 on 425, 375 and 425 respectively, on middle shelf, **over a shallow dish of water**. It will still be crispy, in fact stop cooking if the skin starts to burn. This is an ingredient in some glutinious rice dumplings. I won't give the recipe here but I highly recommend them. It does seem a waste of time to roast meat then put it in a boiled dumping. Some recipes I've seen call for the meat to be marinated then put (raw) in the dumpling. I haven't tried this but it seems better. Whatever you do, try to make sure all the spices are well ground or the meat may be unpleasantly gritty.
