Wheat Free Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Few things in the world of roasted meat can compete with the sound of crackling pork skin shattering under a knife. This Cantonese-style roasted pork belly delivers that deeply blistered, golden crust alongside juicy, spiced meat — the kind of result that looks like it came from a Chinatown roast shop window. The marinade leans on five-spice powder, white pepper, and tamari for that signature savory-sweet depth, and since tamari is used in place of conventional soy sauce, there's no wheat hiding in the seasoning. The real magic happens during the overnight dry-brine, where a coarse salt crust pulls moisture from the skin so the oven can do its best work. A quick blast at high heat in the final stretch is what transforms the surface into those dramatic, crackling bubbles that make every bite worth the wait. Serve it sliced into pieces with a little extra tamari on the side, and don't be surprised if it disappears before it even makes it to 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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