Seed Oil Free Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few dishes deliver the kind of primal satisfaction that comes from shattering a perfectly blistered pork skin with the side of a spoon. This Cantonese classic is all about technique — thorough skin-poking, an overnight salt-dry, and a two-stage roast that takes the skin from pale and leathery to deeply golden and crackling. The marinade of garlic-infused oil, tamari, five-spice, and white pepper soaks into the meat side overnight, building layers of savory, aromatic flavor that contrast beautifully with the salty, crunchy crust above. Because the whole thing is built around pork belly, coarse sea salt, and pantry spices rather than any processed cooking oils, it fits naturally into a seed oil–free kitchen without any substitutions or workarounds required. The garlic-infused oil in the marinade is the only fat beyond what renders naturally from the belly itself, so you stay in full control of what goes into the dish. Sliced into thick pieces with the crackling intact and served alongside a simple tamari dip, this is the kind of centerpiece that makes people go quiet at the table — in the best possible way.
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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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