Almond Free Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few things in the world of roasted pork can compete with the sheer satisfaction of biting through a perfectly blistered, golden crackling into tender, juicy meat beneath. This Cantonese-style roasted pork belly is the kind of showstopper that looks like it came from a Chinatown barbecue shop window — and it absolutely can come from your own oven. The magic is all in the technique: thorough skin-poking, an overnight salt-and-vinegar dry brine, and a two-stage roast that first cooks the meat through, then blasts the skin into deeply bubbled, shatteringly crisp perfection. Every ingredient here is straightforward and naturally free of tree nuts — the marinade leans on garlic-infused oil, tamari, five-spice, and white pepper for that deeply savory, aromatic flavor that makes this dish so craveable. There's no need to scan labels for hidden almond flour, almond oil, or nut-based sauces, which can sneak into store-bought marinades and pre-seasoned meats. The dipping sauce is just tamari, clean and simple. Slice it into bite-sized pieces with the crackling intact on every single piece, scatter some scallion greens over the top, and watch it disappear from the plate faster than you'd expect.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the pork
- 2 ½ lb skin-on pork belly, in one slab
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
For the skin
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
For serving
- 3 stalks scallion, green tops only, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 tbsp tamari, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the pork belly completely dry with paper towels. Using a sharp skewer, fork, or the tip of a paring knife, poke the skin all over — aim for at least 50–60 punctures across the entire surface, going no deeper than the fat layer beneath the skin. This is the most important step for achieving a bubbly, crackling crust.
- 2
Flip the pork belly skin-side down. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic-infused oil, tamari, five-spice powder, white pepper, sugar, and fine salt until combined. Rub this marinade evenly over the meat and fat sides only — keep it off the skin entirely.
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