![]() ![]() We warmed this up briefly in the oven and the golden, blistered skin was shatteringly crisp, light and dreamy with the tender, succulent pork layered with just enough melting fat. I didn’t want to choose an obscure brand and then suddenly have it go out of stock on me!” Moreover, he adds: “I need the marinade to stay consistent throughout. Because making his own sauces from scratch wouldn’t justify the time and money spent for only minimal returns on flavour. ![]() Junlong is upfront that he uses mass market bottled sauces like Barilla pesto for this, along with fresh thyme and basil. The brick-sized slabs of Indonesian pork come pre-sliced, but we asked for this one to be left whole and it turned out to be our favourite among the three. It’s first slow-roasted at a low temperature, before being broiled at the highest setting to finish - the secret to the crispy skin and juicy meat, says Junlong. After it has been marinated long enough, the meat is taken out on the day of delivery, and roasted for about two hours in his modest conventional oven before being left to rest. So I began by thinking along the lines of different colours - like red, green and yellow - and started coming up with new flavours from there.”Īfter buying the slabs of pork belly fresh from the market, Junlong will score the skin of each slab, before leaving it to sit in its marinade for 24 to 48 hours in the fridge. “Sio bak in itself is just brown and white. And like a true interior designer, he put the visuals first in his R&D process. Then I started thinking - perhaps I can bring some colour to this traditional dish.”ĭuring his circuit breaker R&D period, Junlong started thinking of seasonings and marinades that he could use to infuse his sio bak recipe with Western flavours. “This sio bak has actually been two years in the making - I started out doing regular roast pork, and that was a hit. “I just do my best to keep on improving and perfecting my version.” I consider mine quite different due to the flavors,” says Junlong. ![]() “To be honest, I don’t really compare my sio bak with the famous brands out there. All flavours are sold at $40 per 500g box - on the pricey side, when compared to famous hawker stalls like Kim Heng Roasted Delights in Serangoon that sells their sio bak at $48 per kilo. Juno Roast Pork’s sio bak is available in three flavors: Mala Five Spice Powder, Garlic Mustard and Herbs, and Italian Herbs and Pesto. “Right now, projects are still coming in slowly, so I’m still not slammed trying to juggle everything just yet.” He goes to a childcare centre in the afternoons, which frees up the couple’s schedule for their respective jobs.ĭespite the plethora of commitments, Junlong still considers it all manageable, for the time being. His wife Jacqueline has a full-time customer service job in the government sector (she helps him handle the admin for Juno Roast Pork), so Junlong usually spends his mornings and evenings taking care of baby Juno. However, prep for every batch of sio bak starts three days in advance, meaning that he has to prepare the meat on Wednesday and Thursday as well - leaving only two days of the week free from his sio bak commitments. Juno’s Roast Pork does a bit to supplement my income.” “Right now, design projects are restarting again, though I’m still not as busy as I used to be. That’s why I’m keeping the deliveries to only Friday and the weekends - that’s when it’s easiest to plan in advance, as I won’t be called down to a job site out of the blue,” says Junlong. Throw in a full-time job and a fledgling home biz, and you’ve got a very, very busy man. Being a new parent is no mean feat to begin with. ![]()
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