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1
Combine five-spice, hoisin, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and fermented red bean curd in a bowl and mix to a uniform paste. Apply the marinade exclusively to the interior cavity of the pig, coating all surfaces thoroughly. Leave the exterior skin untouched. The cavity should be fragrant and deeply coloured — red-amber from the bean curd.
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2
Hang or prop the pig in a cool, well-ventilated space and air-dry for a full 24 hours. The skin must lose all surface moisture before roasting. At the end of the drying period, the exterior skin should feel taut and papery to the touch, with no trace of tackiness. A skin that is still soft or damp will steam in the oven rather than crackle.
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3
This is the step on which the dish lives or dies. Using a hollow metal inflation probe, insert the tip under the skin at the neck or haunch and work it between the skin and the fat layer beneath. Blow air through the probe to separate skin from fat across the entire body. The skin will lift visibly away, standing proud of the flesh. Without this separation the skin fuses to the meat during roasting and the signature bubble-crackle texture cannot form.
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4
Roast the pig, cavity side down, at high heat. During roasting, brush the skin repeatedly with rice vinegar. The vinegar accelerates Maillard browning and builds crispness. The skin is ready when it is shatteringly thin, bright red-amber in colour, and blistered into hollow bubbles across its surface — press lightly with a fingernail: it should crack like glass.
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5
Present the whole pig at the table before cutting — this is the ceremonial centrepiece. Carve into portions. At a banquet, the first 24 guests receive a square of the crisp skin as the prestige portion.