Cantonese Roast Pork (燒肉)

Last updated: 10 July, 2025

Cantonese roast pork (燒肉 siu yuk) is one of the most iconic dishes in Cantonese cuisine. You’ll see it proudly hanging in the windows of Hong Kong style barbecue shops, with that unmistakable golden crackling skin and juicy layers of fat and meat.

The technique dates back centuries and is rooted in southern China where siu mei (燒味): Cantonese-style roasted meats, became a beloved everyday specialty. What makes siu yuk stand out is the crispy, blistered skin. It’s not just roasted, it’s carefully dried, poked, and roasted again at high heat to get that signature crunch.

Traditionally made in massive vertical ovens over open flames, home cooks today have adapted the process for modern ovens and it’s still just as satisfying. Crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and deeply flavourful with just a few humble ingredients. It’s a celebration dish, a comfort food, and honestly kind of a flex when you get it right.

Ingredients

• Pork belly is the key cut for Cantonese roast pork. Look for a slab with a good balance of meat and fat, and an even surface on the skin. The fat renders during roasting, keeping the meat juicy, while the skin is transformed into that iconic crackling.

Marinade

This is applied only to the meat side and never the skin to avoid softening it.

• Salt enhances the natural flavour of the pork and helps with basic seasoning.
• Sugar balances the salt and spices, and helps create a mild caramelisation in the meat.
• Five spice powder is a traditional Chinese blend (typically star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns). It adds depth and a subtle warm spice aroma.
• White pepper is common in Cantonese cooking. It gives a gentle heat and earthiness that complements the give spice.
• Shaoxing wine adds aromatic depth and helps tenderise the meat while reducing porkiness.

Skin Prep

Getting crispy skin is all about keeping it dry and blistering it properly during roasting.

• White vinegar helps dry out and tighten the skin slightly during the drying process. It also reacts with the salt to enhance blistering.
• Salt draws out moisture from the skin and promotes blistering during roasting.

Instructions

Marinate and Dry

1. Score or poke the skin
   • Poking tiny holes in the skin allows fat to render underneath and creates steam pockets that help puff the skin during roasting.
   • Use a meat tenderizer, skewer, or fork to piece the skin evenly and thoroughly, avoiding the meat underneath. The more holes, the better the crisp.
   • Don’t cut past the fat. Just shallow punctures into the skin layer.
2. Marinate the meat side only
   • Flavour the meat without interfering with the skin’s ability to dry and crisp.
   • Mix your marinade and rub it on the meat and sides. Keep the skin completely untouched.
   • Avoid the skin as moisture and salt here will block proper crisping.
3. Dry the skin
   • Pat the skin thoroughly with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
   • Lightly brush with vinegar. This helps dehydrate the surface and tighten the skin for blistering later.
   • Place the pork belly skin side up, uncovered, in the fridge overnight to air-dry.
   • If you’re tight on time, use a hairdryer to dry the skin manually for 10-15 minutes until the surface feels tight.

Roast

1. Preheat the oven
   • Heat oven to 150°C on roast setting (heating from both top and bottom)
   • Low heat allows fat to render slowly and evenly in the first stage of roasting.
2. Sprinkle salt on the skin
   • Just before roasting, evenly sprinkle a thin layer of salt across the skin. No need to pile it on or form a crust.
   • This draws out surface moisture during roasting and lightly seasons the skin.
   • There’s no need to brush this off. It bakes in and helps drying.
3. First roast: render fat and dry skin
   • Place the pork belly skin side up on a wire rack set over a roasting tray.
   • Play a tray of water underneath the wire rack to catch dripping fat and prevent smoking.
   • Roast at 150°C for 1 hour. Adjust to 90 mins if your pork seems extra thick and meaty.
4. Second roast: crisp the skin
   • Increase temp to 230°C for 20 minutes to kickstart blistering.
   • Then switch to grill/top heat mode for 5-10 minutes.
   • The skin will start puffing and blistering. Watch closely and rotate the tray as needed for even results and prevent burning.
5. Rest and slice
   • Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This locks in juices and avoids messy cuts.
   • Use a sharp, heavy cleaver to cut in one firm motion through the crackling.
6. Serve and enjoy
   • Serve with mustard or hoisin sauce.
   • Over plain white rice or chopped and added into fried rice or stir-fried noodles.

Cantonese Roast Pork

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Celine Leung

Ingredients

• 1 kg pork belly skin on

Marinade (meat side only)

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp five spice powder
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

Skin prep

• white vinegar just enough to lightly cover the skin
• 1 tsp salt for sprinkling on skin just before roasting

Instructions

• Use a fork, skewer, or meat tenderiser to poke many holes into the skin. Do not pierce the meat.
  1 kg pork belly
• Mix marinade ingredients.
  1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp five spice powder, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• Rub marinade on the meat and sides only.
• Pat the skin as dry as possible with paper towels.
• Brush skin lightly with white vinegar.
  white vinegar
• Leave pork belly uncovered in fridge overnight with skin side up.

Next day:

• Preheat oven to 150°C (roast setting if possible)
• Sprinkle salt evenly across the skin surface.
  1 tsp salt
• Place pork belly on a wire rack, skin side up with a tray of water underneath.
  1 kg pork belly
• Roast for 60-90mins.
• Raise temp to 230°C. Roast for 20 minutes more.
• Switch to grill mode for the last 5-10 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning.
• Let the pork rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
• Serve with mustard or hoisin sauce over rice or stir-fried noodles and enjoy!