Artificial Food Coloring Free Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few dishes deliver the kind of sheer textural satisfaction that comes from a slab of pork belly roasted until the skin shatters like glass. The magic here is entirely in the technique — thorough poking, an overnight salt cure, and a two-stage roast that first cooks the meat through before blasting the skin into deeply blistered, golden crackling. Every ingredient in this recipe is a whole, recognizable pantry staple: tamari, five-spice powder, white pepper, rice wine vinegar, and coarse sea salt. There are no pre-mixed spice blends, bottled sauces, or store-bought marinades hiding synthetic dyes in the fine print, which makes this a genuinely clean cook from start to finish. The garlic-infused oil and tamari work together to season the meat and fat layers with savory depth, while the skin stays completely untouched by the marinade so it can dry out and crisp properly. Resting the pork for ten minutes before slicing keeps every piece juicy beneath that crackling shell, and a scatter of fresh scallion greens and a small dish of tamari for dipping is all the finishing it needs. This is the kind of centerpiece recipe that looks wildly impressive but rewards patience more than skill.
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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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