Whenever I go to Chinatown to pick something up, I almost always have to stop at a place to pick up some crisp-skinned Chinese roast pork. This is often confused with the more well known dish Chinese bbq pork (Char Siu), which has the telltale red exterior from the sweet hoisin sauce glaze.
Both are good, but when faced with a choice, my vote goes to the simple roast pork, if for no other reason than the crispy, crackling skin. Because it's roasted at a low temperature for hours, the meat is basted with the rendered fat, and the tougher connective tissue breaks down into soft gelatin, making the meat even more moist. With the delicately complex flavor of Chinese five-spice powder complimenting the rich, juicy meat and crispy skin, this roast comprises a simple feast, accompanied by steamed rice and a piquant dipping sauce.
I picked up a picnic roast which was surrounded by a layer of skin and fat, which made it perfectly suited for this, but other cuts of pork such as skin-on pork belly should work as well. Please don't try this with a lean cut such as a pork tenderloin, as you'll end up with pork jerky. The cooking time may seem long, but there aren't many ingredients, and once you've put this Chinese roast pork in the oven after breakfast, you can forget about it until dinner time.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 1 skin-on pork shoulder (or belly)
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Wash and dry your roast thoroughly. Score the skin about 1" apart.
- Mash all the other ingredients together to make a paste. Smear the paste mixture all over the roast working it into the skin and meat. Put the roast in a pan that will let the fat drain through (a wire rack over a baking sheet will do in a pinch), and stick it in the over for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, the skin should just be turning brown (if it's getting too dark, turn down the heat sooner). Reduce the heat to 250 degrees F and let it roast for about 8 hours (for a 2-3 lbs roast). You'll know it's ready when most of the fat has rendered out and the meat has started pulling away from the bone.
- When it's ready, take it out of the oven, transfer it to a different baking tray (you could do it in the same pan, but the fat that's collected in this pan will smoke and set your smoke alarms off). Put it back into a 450 degree F oven to crisp the skin for 15-20 minutes. The skin should be puffed up, crisp and golden brown.
- Take it out of the oven and let it rest of a bit. You'll probably want to take the skin off and break it up by hand, then slice the slabs of tender pork separately. I make a dipping sauce out of scallions, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and salt to dip the meat in and have it over rice. One other thing... the skin doesn't stay crisp in the fridge, so enjoy it all the night you make it.
Leemcbrec says
Yum that sounds good! Saw you on Chopped--they chopped the wrong guy! (I felt it was likely because you didn't have their required 'culinary background'--folks can be a little snobbish about stuff like that!) Very impressed with your site and look forward to trying your recipes!
chris sutton says
Can you tell me exactly how you make the dipping sauce? Thanks.
Marc Matsumoto says
Mince some ginger, garlic, and scallions. Pour sesame oil over them, and add a pinch of salt (to taste).
jenn says
Hi Marc, I love your website--every recipe I've tried has been delicious...If I wanted to roast an 8 pound picnic roast, how long do you think I should leave it in the oven? Also, if I smeared the 5-spice paste over the roast two or three days in advance, do you think the salt would concentrate the flavors? Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jenn, great idea! You'll need to make extra spice paste for the size (and because if you let it sit, liquid will come out of the roast diluting the paste. Score the skin, rub it in, then wrap the whole thing tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a bowl or tray before putting it in the fridge. As for roasting times, it's going to take a while for a roast that size. To be honest I've never done one that large so I'm not sure how long it will take, but I'd give yourself 12-15 hours.
jenn says
Thanks so much, Marc!
Ray Gazley says
Another great recipe. Made this last night with a free range piggy shoulder, and was a bit scared to leave it in the hot oven at the end (was thinking it would dry out the meat). Thus, didn't get the whole thing crispy, but the bits that did go were delish. Meat was never in any danger of going tough/dry... what was I thinking...?will know for next time. Thanks Marc x
jenn says
Hi Marc. I've made this recipe twice in the past five months and the pork is always succulent and crispy. I'm considering making this again using your cooking method but changing the spice mixture: fennel seeds, star anise, coriander, black pepper, bay leaf, cumin, juniper, thyme. I was thinking about creating a brine with the spices and leaving the picnic roast to to brine in the refrigerator for about 24 hours first...If I do brine the pork, do you think I should also create some sort of rub with the same spices, some oil and garlic to rub all over the pork before I roast it (to create a crust)? Or is this unnecessary? Thanks so much, Marc. I rely on your site weekly for dinner inspiration.
Marc Matsumoto says
You can try it, but I don't think a brine will work well because you're introducing more moisture into the skin (which might prevent it from keeping crispy). Your blend of herbs and spices sounds great though so you may want to try integrating them into the rub and leaving it on the surface of the pork for a day or two in the fridge. I hope that helps.
jenn says
Very helpful. I'm glad I consulted you before experimenting. Thank you!
dedy oktavianus says
i can barely hear the cracking skin when i eat that lusciuos delicious siew nyuk......
even i'm not a chinese descent, i just ovin it, never made with shoulder but only the belly....
btw, do you think this recipe suits for a junvenile wild boar????
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Dedy, I've never done this with boar, but typically boar is much more lean than pork. Given the long cooking time, if you don't have the fat the meat might get dried out.
JvC says
Hi Marc. I bought a pork shoulder not really knowing how to cook it and following the success of your Masoor Dal I searched for a pork recipe on your website and came across siew yuk. Finger licking good! Although I found the dipping sauce too oily with the only liquid coming from the sesame oil. Maybe I'll add some ketjap manis next time as the pork is already salty enough, so made some apple sauce as well. Keen to try more of your recipes now! John
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you enjoyed the pork! You could try making the same sauce with vinegar instead of the sesame oil for a lighter version, but I love the idea of serving it with apple sauce (maybe with some 5 spice instead of cinnamon?).
Jabman says
I am very disappointed with this recipe because I am impatient and want it NOW! I am not sure I am able to wait the time this roast needs to cook, but I will give it the old college try. I know from the pictures and comments that the wait will certainly outweigh the frustration of waiting.
Thank you all for this wonderful recipe and comments.
JAB
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jabman, hope you enjoyed it!
Betty says
Do you have the recipe for the dipping sauce? Great recipe. Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Betty, the sauce is just minced scallions, ginger, salt and vegetable oil. Enjoy!
Kevin says
how many pounds of pork shoulder do you normally cook with for this recipe
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kevin, this was from so long ago (15 years ago) I can't remember exactly, but it looks to be about 5 pounds.