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Siu yuk (Cantonese crispy roast pork belly)
Siu yuk (燒肉): salt-cured pork belly roasted until the crackling puffs and blisters
Hanging in the window of every Hong Kong siu mei shop beside the char siu and roast goose, siu yuk is a slab of pork belly whose skin has been roasted into a glassy, bubbled crackling that crunches loudly over juicy, five-spice-seasoned layers of meat and fat. Shops chop it into cubes for rice boxes at lunch, and whole slabs are carried to temples and family altars at Ching Ming and on festival days. Serve it with English-style mustard and a dish of sugar for dipping, plus rice and greens. The usual error is a damp skin: any moisture left on it steams instead of crackles, so the belly must dry uncovered in the fridge overnight. Chef's tip: prick the skin all over with a sharp skewer until it looks like sandpaper; those tiny holes are where the blisters start.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pork
- 2 ⅝ lb skin-on pork bellyone even slab, about 4 cm thick, boneless
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
For the meat rub
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
For the salt crust
- 5 ½ oz coarse salt
To serve
- 2 tbsp hot mustard (optional)
- 2 tbsp sugar (optional)for dipping
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Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Set 2 ⅝ lb skin-on pork belly skin side up on a rack in the sink and pour boiling water over the skin only; it tightens and turns pale. Pat completely dry.
Step 2: Turn the belly over. Make shallow cuts 2 cm apart in the meat, but not through to the skin, so it stays flat.
Step 3: Mix 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp five-spice powder and ½ tsp ground white pepper and rub it into the meat and sides only. Keep it off the skin: sugar on the skin burns.
Step 4: Turn skin side up and prick the skin all over, very densely, with a sharp metal skewer or a meat tenderiser with spikes. Go into the fat, not the meat.
Step 5: Brush the skin with 1 tbsp white vinegar. Put the pork, uncovered and skin side up, on a rack over a tray in the fridge to dry overnight, or for at least 12 hours. The skin should feel dry and leathery.
Step 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Wrap the meat and sides of the belly in a snug tray of foil, leaving only the skin exposed, so it stays level.
Step 7: Brush the skin with a little water and pack 5 ½ oz coarse salt over it in an even 5 mm layer. Roast until the salt crust is hard and the meat is cooked through.
60 minStep 8: Take out the pork, lift off and discard the salt crust and brush away any loose grains.
Step 9: Turn the oven to 475°F (425°F fan) or the grill to high. Roast the pork skin side up, watching closely and moving it if one spot darkens, until the whole skin has puffed into pale golden blisters.
30 minStep 10: Check the thickest part of the meat with a thermometer: it must read at least 160°F. Scrape off any blackened spots with a knife.
Step 11: Rest uncovered for 15 minutes so the crackling stays crisp; covering it softens the skin.
15 minStep 12: Turn it skin side down and chop into 2 cm strips, then into cubes, with a heavy knife. Serve with 2 tbsp hot mustard and 2 tbsp sugar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 61 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does siu yuk (Cantonese crispy roast pork belly) take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 110 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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