Chinese roast pork (siew yuk)

A cutting board filled with slices of Chinese roasted pork, served with a scallion sauce.

This Siew Yuk recipe delivers succulent meat and crackling skin, all seasoned with Chinese Five Spice Powder. It's a perfect roast for a lazy afternoon, filling the house with heady aromas.

Course Entree

Cuisine Chinese

Level Intermediate

Main Ingredient Pork

Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low Sugar, Low-Carb

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 10

Servings servings

Calories 357kcal

Equipment

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
1 batch Scallion Sauce

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
Wash and dry your 1 skin-on pork shoulder thoroughly. Score the skin about 1" apart.
1 skin-on pork shoulder
In a medium bowl, mash the 3 cloves garlic1 tablespoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 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 oven for 30 minutes.
3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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 1 batch Scallion 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.

Nutrition