One of the most famous Chinese meat preparations, char siu is Cantonese barbecue pork. Naturally, that makes it especially popular in the Cantonese parts of southern China, as well as popular in local adaptations throughout much of Southeast Asia.
While different cuts of pork can be used to make char siu, from lean boneless pork loin to fattier cuts, those fatty cuts like pork shoulder/pork butt really are best suited to making a tasty Chinese BBQ pork char siu.
It is sticky and sweet from the sugar and honey, smoky from the aromatic Chinese spices. Char siu can be used in various dish such as char siu noodles, fried rice, Tacos, and Salad.
These variations highlight the adaptability of char siu pork and its ability to complement a wide range of dishes and cuisines.
Ingredients
3 lb pork shoulder
Char Siu Sauce Ingredients
1.5 tbsp garlic salt
6 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1.5 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp red wine
1.5 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1.5 cube red fermented bean curd
1.5 tsp five spice powder
Basting Ingredients
3 tbsp honey
3 tsp water
Instruction
Start with preparing the pork.
Cut the pork shoulder (3 lb) into long slices, roughly about 1 inch thick.
Try to cut each slice with same thickness so they cook at the same rate.
Afterwards, repeatedly poke each side of each slice with a fork to help the pork absorb the marinade more effectively.
Prepare marinade
In a bowl, add: garlic salt (1.5 tbsp) brown sugar (6 tbsp) oyster sauce (3 tbsp) light soy sauce (3 tbsp) hoisin sauce (1.5 tbsp) red wine (3 tbsp) Shaoxing wine (1.5 tbsp) red fermented bean curd (1.5 cube) five spice powder (1.5 tsp) This amount can be adjusted based on the amount of pork you’ll be making.
Mix the marinade until it’s evenly distributed and smooth.
If you’d like a more rich, red color, you can add a few drops of red food coloring 2 drops.
Marinate pork Place the meat into a zip-top bag, pour the sauce in, and massage the pork for about 2 minutes so that the sauce is able to finesse its way into the meat.
Push all the air out of the bag and seal it.
Place the bag in the refrigerator, and let the pork marinate overnight, or at least for around 6 to 8 hours.
If you refrigerate the pork, let it sit for about 1 hour to bring it to room temperature before starting to cook it.
Prepare char siu for oven Preheat the oven to 425° F or 218° C.
Set up the baking pan by lining the bottom with aluminum foil (to avoid messiness), and place the baking rack on top of the foil.
Using tongs, start laying out the pork on the baking rack and pan.
Add 1 to 2 tbsp of water to the bottom of the pan to help generate some steam as the char siu cooks, and to help prevent the drippings from burning and smoking.
Carefully place it in the oven.
Roast and baste char siu Now, remove the char siu to baste it again with either the leftover pork marinade, or honey (3 tbsp) diluted with water (3 tsp).
Cook for 15 minutes and baste both sides with the pork marinade Cook for another 15 minutes and baste both sides with pork marinade again Cook for 10 minutes and baste both sides with the diluted honey And finally, turn the heat up to 450° F, cook for another 5 minutes, baste both sides with honey, and let it cool for a few minutes before cutting into it.
In total, this is about 50 minutes in the oven.
Once the char siu has finished its last cycle in the oven, we’ll baste each side with our diluted honey.
Let the char siu cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into it. Enjoy!
