Sous Vide Chinese Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (Siu Yuk / Siu Gee Yuk / Sio Bak)

Step 1

Heat your sous vide bath to 74C / 165F.

Step 2

Using a sharp pairing knife, slide horizontal cuts through the skin about 1-inch apart. Be careful to only cut through the skin and not too deep into the underlying fatty layer.

Step 3

Criss-crossed two skewers (I used metal ones) from corner to corner. This will keep the pork belly flat as it is being cooked sous vide.  This will help make it easier to crisp the skin later under the broiler.

Step 4

In a small bowl, combine the salt, white pepper and Chinese five spice power. Sprinkle halfof the mixture generously to cover the underside of the pork belly (opposite side of the skin).

Step 5

Vacuum seal your pork belly. If the tips of your skewers are exposed on one side of the pork belly, make sure you don't puncture the bag as you vacuum seal or handle it.

Step 6

Cook the pork belly for 6-8 hours. Any longer than this will significantly change the texture.

Step 7

At the end of the sous vide bath, cut open the bag, pour away the accumulated liquid and remove the skewers.

Step 8

Using paper towels, pat the entire belly completely dry, with extra focus on the skin.   Make several passes to make sure it's completely dry.

Step 9

Take the remainder of the salt, white pepper and Chinese five spice powder and sprinkle on the underside of the belly (opposite side of the skin).

Step 10

Flip over the belly, and brush it with a very thin layer of white vinegar. This will help it crisp more quickly and evenly in the oven.

Step 11

Lay the pork belly on a baking sheet with a rack, so it is elevated off the tray. Put it under a broiler set to high and cook it to crisp the skin.  As it's cooking, you will need to move the tray around to avoid hot spots burning too much of the skin.  After about 10-15 mins, the skin will be a nice dark brown and you can remove it from the oven.

Step 12

Laying the pork belly on a cutting board, use a large Chef's knife or meat cleaver, cut into bite sized pieces.  While I left the skin intact, you can optionally scrape off any of the skin that's too blackened to improve the presentation.

Step 13

Serve with white rice and Chinese chili sauce.