Pecan Free Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few things in the kitchen deliver the kind of satisfaction that comes from pulling a slab of perfectly crackling pork belly out of the oven. The skin shatters on contact, the meat underneath is tender and deeply savory from five-spice, white pepper, and tamari, and the whole thing looks like it came straight out of a Cantonese roast shop window. The technique here is methodical but genuinely approachable — aggressive skin-poking, an overnight salt-and-vinegar dry brine, and a two-stage roast are what separate a truly blistered crust from a disappointing chewy one. Every ingredient in the marinade and the skin prep is straightforward pantry stuff, with no nuts or nut-based sauces anywhere in the mix, so you can cook and serve with complete confidence. The garlic-infused oil carries a quiet richness into the meat side while the skin stays bone-dry and ready to puff and crackle under high heat. Sliced into bite-sized pieces with a little tamari for dipping and a scatter of fresh scallion greens, this is the kind of dish that disappears fast at the table. It takes patience — mostly hands-off fridge time — but the payoff is absolutely worth it.
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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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