Chong Jin Yuan: “It’s frustrating because it takes 3-4 hours to roast, and the whole process from drying to roasting to tasting the product when it cools down requires the entire day. If it does not turn out the way you want it to be, you just do not have the time or energy to redo it. There is a lot of technique. It is not just one step that can make your roast belly very good – it’s a mix of different techniques. You’re playing with the chemistry, acidity and alkalinity.”
Chong, chef and owner of Te Bak Kia Roasted, shares about his relationship with food growing up, plus: *Picking up the skills of roasted delights * *Making char siu and siu yok at home* *Western roast pork versus Asian roast pork* *Why does roast pork belly sometimes stick to your teeth* *Selecting pork belly* *Bu jian tian vs pork belly for char siu* *Sous vide char siu vs traditional char siu* *Why be a hawker* *Why is roasted delights a dying trade in Singapore* *Braised pig face dish* *Pig head as a delicacy for foreign workers in Singapore*
31: Roasted delights, a dying trade | Chong Jin Yuan, hawker chef-owner of Te Bak Kia Roasted