Rye Free Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)

Total time9 hr 45 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time1 hr 15 min

Few things in the world of roasted pork can compete with the sheer satisfaction of skin that shatters the moment you bite into it. This Cantonese-style roasted pork belly achieves that legendary crackling crust through a careful two-stage process — a long overnight dry in the refrigerator followed by a blast of high heat that blisters the skin into golden, bubbly perfection. The marinade of garlic-infused oil, tamari, five-spice powder, and white pepper soaks deep into the meat side, building layers of savory, aromatic flavor that contrast beautifully with the salty, crisp exterior. The good news for anyone avoiding grain-based ingredients is that every component here is naturally free of rye and its relatives. Tamari stands in as the soy sauce of choice, and the rest of the lineup — vinegar, baking soda, sea salt, and spices — is straightforward and clean. No specialty swaps needed, no label-scanning required. The technique is the real star: aggressive skin-poking, a salt crust that pulls out moisture overnight, and a final high-heat roast that transforms the surface into something almost impossibly crunchy. Slice it into thick pieces, scatter on some scallion greens, and set out a small bowl of tamari for dipping. It's the kind of dish that disappears from the plate before you've even sat down.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the pork

2 ½ lb skin-on pork belly, in one slab

For the marinade

1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
FODY Low FODMAP Garlic-Infused Olive Oil (250ml)Private Selection Infused Olive Oil Garlic La Tourangelle Infused Garlic Oil Garlic Gold USDA Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Infused with Garlic Low FODMAP Tantillo Roasted Garlic Infused Avocado Oil
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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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