Siu Yuk (Crispy Roast Pork Belly)
Char siu won't cook! Glass Pork Skin Grilled in a Salt Dome
Description
Japanese ramen Chashu is tied and 'boiled'. The pinnacle of authentic Cantonese Siu Mei (roasted meats) is skin-on pork belly. The skin is repeatedly punctured, buried under a dome of coarse salt, and baked until the skin blisters into a 'cracker-like, shatteringly crisp' masterpiece.
Restaurants serving Siu Yuk (Crispy Roast Pork Belly)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Skin-on Pork belly
- Five-Spice powder
- Coarse salt(massive)
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Differences]
- (Prep) Take a skin-on pork belly block. Rub Five-Spice, salt, sugar, and wine ONLY on the meat side (NEVER on the skin).
- [The Pro Move - Puncturing]: Scald the skin briefly to soften it. Using a special needle tool (or skewers), aggressively stab hundreds of tiny holes into the skin 'like it's your sworn enemy' (the absolute requirement for blistering).
- Brush the skin lightly with white vinegar and baking soda, and chill overnight to dry completely.
- (Roasting) Wrap the meat's sides in foil. Bury the exposed skin under a 1cm-thick dome of 'coarse salt'.
- Bake until the salt forms a hard crust. Remove from oven and cleanly scrape off the salt block.
- Return to the oven at max heat until the skin wildly crackles, pops, and becomes covered in gorgeous golden blisters.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Five-Spice aroma and pure umami of pork fat、豚の脂の純粋な旨味
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Irreplaceable - requires skin-on pork and an oven)
Pairing
Beer / Pu'er Tea
Trivia
[Trivia] The flagship of Cantonese 'Siu Mei' (roasted meats). It never popularized in Japan because skin-on pork is rarely sold in regular supermarkets, but in the Chinese sphere, it stands proudly alongside Roast Duck and Char Siu as an ultimate feast.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Chopped into bite-sized squares. It is correct if biting into it produces a loud 'CRACK!' that echoes to the people around you. Dipping it slightly in hot yellow mustard or pure white sugar perfectly elevates the sweet fat.
Allergen
Pork