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5.0 from 3 votes

Char Siu

Char siu is the most common way to flavor and cook barbecued pork in Cantonese cuisine. It is a type of siu mei or roasted meat.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Resting Time
10 hrs
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 326 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian , Chinese

Ingredients

  • 3 lb pork shoulder , without skin or bones, cut into long slices 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
  • 3 tablespoons corn oil
For the spice blend
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1 clove
  • ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 10 Sichuan peppercorns
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the marinade
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fermented red tofu + 3 tablespoons of its brine liquid
  • 1 teaspoon Spice blend
  • 5 cloves garlic , chopped with ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • 4 teaspoons pure ginger juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
For the icing
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 4 tablespoons maltose (malt sugar made from barley or corn starch)
Equipment
  • Spice grinder (or coffee grinder)
  • Mallet
  • baking sheet
  • Aluminium
  • pastry brush

Instructions

Spice blend
    Cup of Yum
  1. Break up the star anise and drop the tips into a small wok or skillet.
  2. Mash the black cardamom with a mallet and break the skin, then remove the seeds and add them to the star anise (discard the skin as it does not crush easily).
  3. Add the cloves, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and Sichuan peppercorns.
  4. Roast everything over medium heat, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the fragrances are released.
  5. Let cool then grind in an electric spice grinder (an electric coffee grinder works very well).
  6. Add the cinnamon and pulse several times to combine everything.
  7. Transfer to a jar and store in a cupboard for up to 2 months.
Marinade
  1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Then, prick each side of each slice of meat several times with a fork to help the pork absorb the marinade more effectively.
  3. Add the pork to the bowl. Coat the pork well with the marinade by hand.
  4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 10 hours.
Cooking
  1. Just before cooking, in a small saucepan, combine the icing ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
  2. Heat the convection oven to 460 F (240°C).
  3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with corn oil using a brush.
  4. Place a container filled with water in the oven to help generate steam while the char siu cooks.
  5. Place the pork on the baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and roast for 15 minutes.
  6. While the pork is roasting, bring the icing to a boil again. After 15 minutes, brush the very hot meat with the very hot frosting and roast again for 5 minutes.
  7. Brush again with hot icing and roast again for 5 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven, brush again with icing and let stand for about 10 minutes.
  9. Then brush one last time with all the remaining icing.
  10. Let the char siu cool for about 5 minutes before cutting it.
  11. Serve with white rice or sautéed noodles.