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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Pork belly can be used in stir-fry recipes: twice cooked pork belly
- Pork belly can be roasted: Roasted pork belly with honey
- Pork belly can be red braised: red-braised pork belly.
Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
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
Elaine, this is another masterpiece by you. I told you before how much I enjoy Asian food and that I love learning about new dishes from China, well, that’s one of those dishes! Looks so appetizing!
Thanks Julia for your lovely comment. Yes from your recipes, I know your love towards Asian food. I am learning about some breads and baking recipes too, hoping to bring my family and friends more yummy food to enjoy. Glad to have friends like you in the process.
I have recently found your blog and i can’t stop reading your entries. You are doing a great job, it’ s one of the best food blogs ever!!! The photos are awsame and your videos on youtube are great too. Please keep making these videos !!!! chinese food snd culture snd cooking is my passion snd I have learnt so much from you:) thank you so much for sharing all those wonderful things:)
Hi Marzena,
Thanks for your encouraging words. They mean SO much to me! I will continue sharing yummy things I have found. Enjoy!
I came across your crispy pork belly recipe here on the internet. I was not previously familiar with you or your recipes. I went to the asian market nearby and bought a niece piece of pork belly and followed your recipe. It was so easy and came out just like the picture, It is a delicious treat. Even the cold leftover piece, I just slice like thick bacon and brown it in the pan with eggs for breakfast. Better than bacon, no chemicals and that crispy skin is so wonderful.
I am now a fan of yours!
Thanks Mike for your trust and feedback. I am so happy to know that you love crispy pork belly too. I do like various pork belly recipes. Happy cooking ahead.
Sounds delicious I will be trying this recipe tomorrow. Thanks for the simple intructions.
Thanks for dropping me the note. Good luck with the cooking ahead.
An easy to follow,and very tasty recipe,brilliant thankyou Elaine
Hi David,
Thanks for the feedback. I am so glad you succeeded on your side too because it is such a yummy dish.
I have been trying in vain to bake a crispy pork belly. I am trying your recipe tomorrow.
Great Ah, Look forward to your good news.
Interesting. I have read many many siu yuk recipes and this is the first time I see that the pork is boiled first.
Hi Tammy,
Boil the pork belly firstly can help to accelerate the roasting process especially for the rind.
My wife must truly love me. She made this for my dinner today. It was amazingly wonderful. Thank you for giving her this recipe.
Hi Steve,
You are such a caring husband. I made this dish for my husband too, but did not hear any nice words. And you are so lucky to have a wonderful wife too. Wish you too happy every day and happy cooking ahead.
Is it absolutely necessary to boil the pork belly before poking holes and such? Can I just season it, refrigerate it, then put it in the oven?
This is traditional way to make crispy pork belly in China. If the pork is not boiled previously, then you at least need to fry the rind on a pan for several minutes until it becomes harder so you can poke holes easily. Otherwise, it might be hard to form cracklings.
Please tell me when is the pork belly ready with good crackling. i followed your recipe and cooked it the second time for another 30 mins, but it still feels soft in the middle of the rind. Should I cut the rind off and roast it again separately?
Hi Lekaha,
You need to flat the pork belly before roasting it. If the four corners have been well crackled, the only choice is to separately roast the middle part.
This is perfect, I am going to make the pork belly and the fish soup tonight as I am hosting a rd egg and ginger party tonight for our neighbors and their one month old baby. Thank you…
oops, meant red egg…
Look forward to your good news Earl! Wish you a nice party.
Hi Elaine, I discovered your site a few months ago, and what a happy discovery! Your recipes are wonderful, your pictures absolutely beautiful, and both offer such a great insight into true Chinese (and Sichuanese) cooking. I’ve made the above pork belly for my husband, and he could not leave it alone. It was wonderful- rich and flavourful, with a wonderful crispy crackling. Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic recipes.
Hi Katie,
Glad to hear that your Mr. loves this pork belly as mine too. And so many sweet words. Thanks for your trust and sharing of your options. Keep cooking and enjoy!