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1
Combine the fermented tofu, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, and five-spice powder into a smooth paste. Open the cleaned cavity of the pig and apply the marinade heavily and evenly to all interior surfaces. The exterior skin receives no marinade. Leave to marinate; the cavity must be saturated, the skin surface entirely untouched.
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2
Insert bamboo skewers or rods across the width of the cavity to hold it fully open. Air must circulate freely inside the pig during roasting — collapse of the cavity traps steam and prevents even cooking. The pig should be braced taut, skin side presenting a single unbroken surface.
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3
Pat the exterior skin thoroughly dry. This is where the dish lives or dies: any residual moisture on the skin surface will prevent the fat beneath from blistering into the lacquered, shattered crust — whether the crackled jou pei or the smooth nai you pei — and the roast cannot be recovered once heat is applied. The skin must feel papery and taut to the touch before the pig enters the oven.
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4
Place the pig in a dedicated roasting oven — traditionally fired with lychee wood — at high heat, 250 °C. Hold this temperature until the skin begins to blister and colour, the surface contracting and lifting in places. The smell shifts from raw pork to a deep, caramelising roast fragrance.
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5
Reduce the oven to 200 °C to bring the interior to full doneness without scorching the skin further. Continue roasting; the total time is 2 hours or more depending on the weight of the pig. Baste the exterior repeatedly with the maltose-vinegar glaze throughout this stage, applied in multiple passes, building an even lacquered colour.
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6
The pig is ready when the skin has set into an even, deeply lacquered surface — either blistered and bubbled (jou pei) or smooth and glassy (nai you pei) according to the temperature management employed. Tap the surface: it should return a hard, hollow sound, with no give beneath. The first slice must reveal perfectly lacquered skin with an even layer of fat directly beneath.