Low FODMAP Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few dishes deliver the kind of primal satisfaction that comes from shattering a perfectly blistered pork skin with your teeth, and this Cantonese-style roast pork belly is built entirely around that moment. The overnight salt crust draws out moisture from the skin, the vinegar-and-baking-soda wash creates the right surface chemistry, and a final blast of high heat turns everything into a deeply golden, crackle-on-contact crust that rivals anything you'd find hanging in a Chinatown window. Underneath all that crunch, the meat stays juicy and fragrant from a marinade of five-spice, white pepper, tamari, and garlic-infused oil — the kind of flavor that's warm, savory, and just a little aromatic. For anyone managing a low-FODMAP diet, Chinese-inspired dishes can feel like a minefield of garlic, onion, and mystery sauces. This recipe sidesteps those triggers carefully: garlic-infused oil delivers that essential savory depth without the fructans, tamari stands in for conventional soy sauce, and only the green tops of scallions are used as a garnish, which are well-tolerated in reasonable amounts. Nothing here is improvised — every swap is grounded in what actually works both digestively and flavor-wise. It serves six generously, making it a strong choice for a weekend dinner or a celebratory spread where you want something genuinely impressive on the table.
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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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