Crispy Air Fryer Chinese Roast Pork Belly (Siu Yuk)
Achieve ultimate Cantonese-style crispy roast pork belly at home using an air fryer, featuring ultra-crackling blistered skin and juicy, tender layers of spiced meat.
Traditional Chinese roast pork belly, known as siu yuk, is celebrated for its iconic glass-like crackling and savory spiced meat layers. This simplified modern adaptation harnesses the power of an air fryer alongside a classic vinegar and salt drying treatment to deliver restaurant-quality crunch without deep frying.
Ingredients
- 500 g pork belly
- 20 g oyster sauce
- 5 g salt
- 5 g five-spice powder
- 3 g garlic powder
- 10 g cooking wine
- 2 g baking soda
- 10 g white vinegar
- to taste coarse salt for crusting
- optional white sugar
Instructions
- 1Blanch the pork belly
Place the pork belly piece into a pot of boiling hot water and blanch it for approximately 3 minutes. This step helps firm up the outer layers, removes impurities, and makes the pigskin much easier to pierce.
Tip: Make sure the water is at a rolling boil before adding the meat. - 2Pierce the pigskin
After blanching and drying the pork belly, place it on a cutting board and use a dedicated meat piercing tool to puncture the pigskin thoroughly. Prick the skin deeply and as many times as possible to ensure the skin becomes extra crispy during baking.
Tip: The more holes you poke into the pigskin, the crispier and crunchier the final skin texture will be. - 3Score the meat
Flip the pork belly over to the meat side and make two deep cuts into the flesh. This allows the marinade and spices to penetrate deeply into the meat for enhanced flavor.
Tip: Cut deep enough to let the seasonings absorb well, but do not slice all the way through the skin. - 4Marinate the pork meat
Apply the prepared blend of oyster sauce, cooking wine, salt, five-spice powder, and garlic powder onto the flesh side of the pork. Massage the seasonings evenly across the meat surface to ensure thorough flavor absorption.
Tip: Rub the spices well into the scored cuts for maximum savory taste. - 5Wrap in foil
Wrap the sides of the marinated pork belly tightly with tin foil, leaving only the top pigskin completely exposed. This protects the meat from drying out while keeping the skin ready for special drying treatments.
Tip: Ensure the foil wraps snugly around the lower block so juices do not leak out during cooking. - 6Brush vinegar and baking soda mixture
Brush a combination of white vinegar and baking soda evenly across the exposed pigskin surface. This specific chemical application is the key secret to breaking down surface moisture and achieving a brittle, crispy skin texture.
Tip: Apply an even coat over the entire skin layer for uniform blistering during baking. - 7Sprinkle coarse salt
Sprinkle a thin layer of coarse salt evenly across the top of the vinegar-brushed pigskin. This layer of salt acts as a desiccant during baking, drawing out excess moisture from the skin to help achieve a super crispy texture.
Tip: Make sure the salt layer is thin and covers the entire surface evenly. - 8Place into air fryer
Carefully pick up the foil-wrapped pork belly and place it securely into the air fryer basket, ensuring it sits flat and stable before starting the baking process.
Tip: Handle with care so the salt layer on top remains undisturbed.
