Gut Friendly Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few dishes hit the way perfectly crackling pork belly does — that shattering, golden skin giving way to tender, juicy meat underneath is one of the great textures in all of cooking. What makes this version work so well for sensitive digestion is the careful attention to ingredients: garlic-infused oil delivers that deep, savory base without the fructans that whole garlic can trigger, and tamari steps in as a cleaner, wheat-free alternative to conventional soy sauce. Five-spice powder and white pepper bring warmth and complexity without anything processed or gut-disrupting hiding in the mix. The overnight dry-brine with coarse sea salt and rice wine vinegar is the real secret weapon — it pulls moisture from the skin so the oven can do its magic, producing that deeply blistered, audibly crackly crust without any deep-frying or complicated technique. The two-stage roasting method means the meat cooks through gently before the high heat blasts the skin into something extraordinary. Finished with a scatter of scallion greens and a small bowl of tamari for dipping, it's a showstopper that feels indulgent but is built on a short, clean ingredient list you can actually trust.
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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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