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Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) Recipe

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Elaine Fung
"Char Siu" one of the most iconic food of Hong Kong-perfectly charred, sweet, sticky and juicy roasted pork.
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Additional Time 3 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs
Course Pork
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 6 servings
Calories 513 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 850 Grams Pork Shoulder Steaks
  • 1/4 Cup Barbeque Pork Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Bean Paste
  • 1/4 Cup Sweet Soy Bean Paste
  • 1/4 Cup Mei Kuei Lu Chiew Cooking Wine
  • 1/2 Cup Liquid Cane Sugar
  • 4 Tbsp Hot water

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork shoulder into 11/2 to 2 inches thick steaks.
  • Rinse and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
  • Mix the barbeque pork sauce, soybean paste, sweet bean paste, and Mei Kuei Lu into a smooth paste.
  • Rub the marinade into each piece of meat thoroughly for at least a minute.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours; bring to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Pre-heat oven to 425F and place a roasting rack on a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Place steaks on the rack and add some water to the baking sheet.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 375F after 15 minutes.
  • Turn the meat over after 10 minutes.
  • Mix the liquid cane sugar and the hot water in a deep dish.
  • Remove the pork after 10 minutes and increase oven temperature to 475F.
  • Place the meat into the liquid cane sugar so that they become thoroughly coated.
  • Return the pork to the oven and roast for 5 minutes, turn the meat over and roast for another 5 minutes.

Notes

1. Well-marbled pork shoulder is preferred for making this dish. Most of the fat will be rendered during cooking leaving the meat flavorful and tender.
2. The smooth soybean paste is preferred instead of the whole soybean paste.
3. Lining the rack with aluminum foil makes cleaning up easier.
4. Roasting a fatty cut of meat like pork shoulder in high heat gives off smoke, adding some water to the baking sheet reduces smoking during cooking.
5. Roasting the meat in high heat initially helps to seal the juice and returning to high heat after the cane sugar coating helps to char the meat.
6. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to return to the meat.
7. This recipe does not use any food coloring so the roasted pork has a dark red color instead of the bright red color sometimes seen in barbeque stores where food coloring is used.
8. Traditionally the roasted pork is sliced into 1/2 inch thickness and served on a bed of hot fluffy white rice.
Keyword char siu, chinese bbq pork