The Majestic's Cantonese Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)

The Majestic's Cantonese Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)

At Asheville’s The Majestic, Chinese culinary traditions meet a playful, modern approach to cooking. This recipe for Siu Yuk, or Chinese crispy pork belly, brings that spirit into the home kitchen, pairing rich, tender pork with the warm, aromatic depth of Spicewalla Five Spice Powder. A night in the refrigerator and a very hot broiler create the dish’s signature crackling skin, turning a handful of simple ingredients into something truly special.

Siu Yuk is a classic Cantonese preparation that’s all about contrast: juicy, flavorful pork beneath a layer of impossibly crisp, bubbly skin. The process takes a little patience, but the payoff is worth it. The skin is pierced dozens of times with a metal skewer, helping it render and blister as it cooks. The meat is seasoned with Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar, and five spice, then the pork rests uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. After a slow roast, the pork belly gets a final blast under the broiler, where the skin puffs, bubbles, and turns deeply golden.

Traditionally, Siu Yuk is cut into bite-sized cubes and served with Chinese hot mustard and a bowl of white sugar for dipping. The sharp mustard and sweetness offer the perfect contrast to the rich pork and aromatic five-spice. This recipe is also an invitation to experiment with the blend beyond traditional dishes, bringing the flavours of The Majestic and Spicewalla into your home and encouraging you to discover new ways to cook, share, and play with flavour!

Recipe is from the kitchen at The Majestic!

  • Ingredients

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    Preparation

    To prep pork belly:

    1. Pierce the skin side of the pork belly repeatedly with a metal skewer. You want dozens and dozens of tiny holes. Try to pierce all the way through the skin, but not so deep that you hit the flesh.
    2. Flip the belly over, meat side up. Brush the meat side with Shaoxing cooking wine. Try not to get too much wine on the skin side, as any excess moisture will prevent the skin from crisping up.
    3. Combine salt, sugar, and Five Spice powder. Sprinkle mixture generously over the meat side of the pork belly.
    4. Flip the belly skin side up and set on a baking sheet fitted with a metal rack. Sprinkle a little extra salt (1/2 tsp - 1 tsp) over the skin of the belly, then set in the refrigerator overnight.

    To cook:

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
    2. Lay a piece of aluminium foil out on a baking tray. Remove pork belly from the fridge and set it in the middle of the aluminium foil. Tuck the sides of the foil up around the sides of the belly to create a little foil box for the belly to cook in. Do not cover the skin with the foil.
    3. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour and a half, or until it reaches 165 degrees internally. Rotate occasionally to prevent uneven browning.
    4. Once the pork belly has reached the correct internal temperature, remove from the oven and turn on the broiler.
    5. Place the pork belly under the broiler and keep a very close eye on it, rotating it as needed, until browned and bubbly.
    6. Once browned to your liking, take it out, let it cool and chop!
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