Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (2024)

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The ultimate guide to perfectly done Cantonese crispy pork belly with oven at home. Crispy pork belly is one of my favorite Cantonese dishes for the years in Guangdong province. Each time when I have a chance to enjoy Guangdong cuisine, this crispy pork belly is one of my choices.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (1)

After I learn how to make crispy pork belly from a Cantonese friends at home several years ago. I am always trying to find ways and information for a better result and trying to understand how every step works. And this is my ultimate guide.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (2)

Cook’s Note

This is the most simplified version for home cooking. I will introduce some extra steps if you want to bring this to the next level.

1.Choose the right part of pork| you should use pork belly to make crispy pork belly.

2.Poke as many holes as possible on the rind. The fat oil produced in the roasting process need ways to come out. Why we need oil coming through the holes? Because hot oil brings hot temperature, which can keep the rind something like gently deep-fried for a quite long time.

3.Applying baking soda or white vinegar can help to soften the skin and thus making the crispy pork belly even fluffy. But the remaining flavor of baking soda may bring some bitter taste to the skin. So the best solution is to set the pork for 30 minutes and then wash the skin before air-drying. I did not include this step in this recipe since it is not quite necessary for me.

4.The salt layer can help to absorb water and keep the skin dry.Cover a layer of sea salt on the surface can help to absorb the water released in the early of the roasting and keep the rind dry.

5.Marinating the pork belly for a longer time, at least overnight. We are roasting a large piece. During the marinating time, do not cover the pork belly with plastic wrapper. Place it in a large bowl and let it dry in the fridge.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (3)

You will need

  • 1000g pork belly with beautiful layers
  • 2 small chunks of ginger
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 tbsp. cooking wine
  • 6-10 Sichuan peppercorns (optional)

Marinating

  • 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp. Chinese five spice
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. white pepper

Roasting

  • sea salt to cover the meat
  • white vinegar for brushing

Instructions

Place the pork belly in a large pot (rind site down) with clean water, add cooking wine, scallion, ginger and sichuan peppercorn. Continue cook for 3 minutes after boiling.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (4)

Transfer the pork out and pat dry the water. Then pork as many as possible holes on the rind. Back and forth and repeat several times. This is the most important step. After the hard pork process, apply a small pinch of salt on the rind.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (5)

Cut two shallow lines on the pork (only the lean part, not deep to touch the fat) and then sprinkle the dry rub evenly.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (6)

Wrap the pork belly with foil wrappers and place in fridge overnight.Uncovered please, we need the rind to be dry before roasting.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (7)

Pre-heat oven to 180 degree C. Brush a thin layer of vinegar and spread salt evenly to form a protecting layer. Roast for 50 minutes.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (8)

Remove the salt and place the pork belly on the middle rack. Remember to use a tray to catch the dropping oils. Turn your oven to upper fire mode and turn up the temperature to 220 degree C.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (9)

Continue roasting for 20 to 25 minutes until the skin is well crackled. Let the pork belly stay in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly cooled down. Transfer out and cut into small bites.
Cutting tips: place the skin side down. Cut the meat part firstly and then press the knife to break the crispy rinds.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (10)

How to serve

You can serve this with sugar, mustard sauce or Thai sweet and chili sauce. But not too many cubes each time. I would suggest 2 cubes for each individual. I make three strips this time and serve only 1 strip one meal. We have very similar dish in Western China, where the pork belly rind is deep-fried for crackling. Mixed chili peppers are used to remove the oily.

Other pork belly recipes

  1. Pork belly can be used in stir-fry recipes: twice cooked pork belly
  2. Pork belly can be roasted: Roasted pork belly with honey
  3. Pork belly can be red braised: red-braised pork belly.

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (11)

Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)

Crispy pork belly is one of my favorite Cantonese dishes for the years in Guangdong province.

5 from 24 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Crispy, Pork Belly

Prep Time: 12 hours hours

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 13 hours hours

Servings: 4

Calories: 5268kcal

Author: Elaine

Ingredients

  • 1000 g pork belly with beautiful layers
  • 2 small chunks of ginger
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 tbsp. cooking wine
  • 6-10 Sichuan peppercorns ,optional

Marinating

  • 1.5 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. Chinese five spice
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. white pepper

Roasting

  • sea salt to cover the meat
  • white vinegar for brushing

Instructions

  • Place the pork belly in a large pot with clean water, add cooking wine, scallion, ginger and sichuan peppercorn. Continue cook for 3 minutes after boiling.

  • Transfer the pork out and pat dry the water. Then pork as many holes on the rind. Back and forth and repeat several times. This is the most important step.

  • After the hard pork process, apply a small pinch of salt on the rind.

  • Cut two shallow lines on the pork (only the lean part, not deep to touch the fat) and then sprinkle the dry rub evenly.

  • Wrap the pork belly with foil wrappers and place in fridge overnight.Uncovered please, we need the rind to be dry before roasting.

  • Pre-heat oven to 180 degree C. Brush a thin layer of vinegar and spread salt evenly to form a protecting layer. Roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

  • Remove the salt and place the pork belly on the middle rack. Remember to use a tray to catch the dropping oils. Use upper fire only at the temperature of 220 degree C, and roast until the rind is golden brown and well crackled.

  • Let the pork belly stay in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly cooled down. Transfer out and cut into small bites.

  • Cutting tips: when cutting the pork belly, place the skin side down. Cut the meat part firstly and then press the knife to break the crispy rinds.

Nutrition

Calories: 5268kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 96g | Fat: 531g | Saturated Fat: 193g | Cholesterol: 720mg | Sodium: 3193mg | Potassium: 2116mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 340IU | Vitamin C: 10.6mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 9.9mg

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (12)

Crispy Pork Belly Recipe (Siu Yuk) (2024)

FAQs

Why won t my pork belly get crispy? ›

The skin wasn't dry enough. Make sure to pat the pork completely dry before rubbing in the salt and oil as excess moisture will stop it from crisping up. It's important to score the skin if you want it really crisp. You'll need a sharp knife for this, or ask your butcher to do it for you.

What is the difference between char siu and siu yuk? ›

Char siu is barbecued roast pork, whereas siu yuk is roasted crispy pork belly. Not only do they use different parts of the pig — my dad likes to use pork butt for char siu and pork belly for siu yuk — but they're also prepared differently and have varying flavor profiles and textures.

What is the secret to perfect crackling? ›

Preheat oven to 230°C, 210°C fan or Gas Mark 8. Put the joint in a roasting tin on the top shelf for 20 minutes. This sudden blast of heat is the key to crispy crackling. Reduce the temperature to 180-190°C, 160-170°C fan or Gas Mark 4-5 and follow the cooking times below to ensure the joint is cooked through.

Why put baking soda on pork belly? ›

It is a fact of life that dry skin crisps better than moist skin. Scotese's trick to crispy pork belly is to rub equal parts baking soda and salt into the skin—the combo of baking soda and salt will draw out moisture and set you up for success.

How to get extra crispy crackling on pork? ›

Roast at 160°C/320°F (140°C fan) for 2 1/2 hours to make the flesh tender and juicy, then at 250°C/485°F for 30 minutes to make the crackling crispy.

How do you keep pork belly crispy? ›

It requires putting a thick layer of salt on the skin of your pork belly, making sure every inch of that pristine skin is covered in salt, then roasting it whole. Roasting this salt-covered belly in the oven will then draw out more moisture from the skin and form a hardened salt crust, which is then removed.

Is hoisin sauce the same as char siu sauce? ›

No they are not the same. Hoisin sauce is made from fermented soybeans mixed with garlic, chilli, sesame, Chinese spices and vinegar. Char siu sauce is a condiment made from hoisin sauce, sugar, Chinese five spice powder, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, garlic and often also food colouring.

What is siu yok in english? ›

Siu yuk (Chinese: 燒肉; pinyin: shāo ròu; Cantonese Yale: sīu yuhk; lit. 'roast meat') is a variety of siu mei, or roasted meat dishes, in Cantonese cuisine. It is made by roasting an entire pig with seasonings, such as salt and vinegar in a charcoal furnace at high temperature.

What does Siu mean in Chinese food? ›

Cantonese cuisine

Char siu literally means "fork roasted" (siu being burn/roast and cha being fork, both noun and verb) after the traditional cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.

How to get good crackling on pork belly? ›

Cook at 180°C (Fan) on the middle shelf for 60mins, Take out of oven, remove the salt crust and return to oven set to 220°C (Fan) for 30-40 minutes until crakling is golden and bubbled all over. Turn as needed. Place pork on wire rack and allow to air cool for 10 minutes which helps crackling crisp up nicely.

What does vinegar do for crackling? ›

Wipe the outside of the skin with a wet vinegar cloth. This assists in drying out the skin and can also help minimize any pork odour.

What is the best oil for pork crackling? ›

Rub the skin with olive oil, and either vinegar or lemon juice, to help conduct the heat of the oven to the skin. Turn the oven to at least 230C and blast the joint with heat for about 30 minutes or until the skin starts to bubble and brown.

Why do you put vinegar on pork belly? ›

DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR – MY SECRET INGREDIENT: Do NOT SKIP the vinegar before the salt crust! The vinegar will further soften the skin when baking, as well as remove any odor from the skin. I have seen other recipes call for baking soda but I have found that vinegar works best for me!

Why vinegar on pork belly? ›

White Vinegar helps dry out the skin – but it has a secondary purpose of removing the odour! If you are prepared, place the Pork in the Fridge UNCOVERED overnight – the skin will dry out. When you pre-heat your oven, remove the pork from the fridge and let it return to room temperature.

Why is my pork belly still tough? ›

A: The pork belly may be tough if the slices are cut too thick, resulting in insufficient cooking time to tenderize the meat. Alternatively, the pork may have been overcooked, causing it to become tough.

Does pork belly get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

The secret to cooking pork belly is the combination of a gentle heat to tenderise the meat and short, high temperature blasts to crisp up the skin on the outside. Typically, recipes call for around 2 hrs at 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then a further 30 mins or so at 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

How long does it take for pork belly to get soft? ›

Roast in a slow oven for 2 1/2 hours at 140°C/285°F so the flesh becomes tender; Level the pork so the skin is level (ie. as horizontal as possible) by propping up the belly with balls of foil beneath. This makes the crackling cook evenly = perfect crackling.

References

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