High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few things in the world of roasted pork can compete with the sheer satisfaction of cracking through a perfectly blistered, golden skin to reach the juicy, spiced meat underneath. This Cantonese-style roasted pork belly delivers exactly that — a deeply savory crust built on five-spice, white pepper, and garlic-infused oil, with a crackling so loud you'll hear it before you taste it. The marinade relies on tamari instead of conventional soy sauce, which keeps the ingredient list clean and free from the sweeteners and additives that sneak into so many store-bought condiments and sauces. The real magic happens overnight in the refrigerator, where a salt-and-baking-soda crust draws moisture out of the skin so it can blister and bubble in the oven rather than steam. A two-stage roast — low and slow to cook the meat through, then a blast of high heat to finish the crackling — means you get tender, pull-apart layers beneath that shatteringly crisp exterior. Every ingredient here is straightforward and unprocessed, so you know exactly what's going into the dish without having to decode a label. Serve it sliced thick with a little tamari for dipping and you've got a showstopper that's as honest as it is impressive.
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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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