Chinese Barbecue Pork Char Siu
Directions
- 1Start by making the char siu sauce: combine 5 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of honey, fermented bean curd (or 1 tablespoon of Japanese miso paste), 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, half a teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of five spice powder, 1 tablespoon of grated garlic, and 1 tablespoon of red yeast powder (or 12 drops of red food coloring) in a pot.
- 2Put the sauce on the stove and stir over medium-low heat for a few minutes to reduce the liquid until it bubbles and thickens like syrup.
- 3Thicken the sauce with some tapioca starch water to help it cling to the meat, then let it cool.
- 4Cut boneless pork shoulder into 1.5-inch thick slabs and make a cut in the middle of each slab without cutting all the way through.
- 5Poke many holes in the pork with a fork to help the marinade infuse evenly.
- 6Drizzle 3 tablespoons of Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry) over the meat and rub it in.
- 7Use paper towels to absorb excess moisture from the pork surface.
- 8Add the cooled char siu sauce to the pork and mix thoroughly.
- 9Cover the marinated pork and leave it in the fridge overnight, optionally mixing it in the middle of the night.
- 10The next day, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- 11Place the marinated meat on a baking rack and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- 12Take the char siu out of the oven, brush the leftover sauce from the bowl onto both sides of the meat, and return it to the oven for another 20 minutes.
- 13Remove the char siu from the oven again, brush a thin layer of about 2.5 tablespoons of honey over it for a shiny appearance.
- 14Put it back into the oven and continue to cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, watching until the meat is beautifully charred.
- 15Serve the char siu with white rice and blanched choi sum.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp honey
- fermented bean curd
- 1 tbsp Japanese miso paste
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tbsp grated garlic
- 1 tbsp red yeast powder
- 12 drops red food coloring
- tapioca starch water
- boneless pork shoulder
- 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- dry sherry
- 2.5 tbsp honey
- white rice
- blanched choi sum
Equipment
stoveovenbaking rackforkpaper towels
Tips
- If you don't have access to fermented tofu, use Japanese miso paste for a similar fermented flavor.
- Red yeast powder is for color only and can be replaced with red food coloring or skipped.
- Make a cut in the middle of the pork slab, but not all the way through, for longer strips.
- Poke holes in the meat with a fork to help the marinade infuse evenly.
- Absorb excess moisture on the pork surface with paper towels before marinating to prevent diluting the sauce.
- Watch the meat carefully during the final baking stage until it is beautifully charred, as oven temperatures vary.
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