Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
User Reviews
5
1,168 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
50 mins
-
Total Time
1 hr
-
Servings
8
-
Calories
274 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Chinese
Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Report
Char Siu is a Chinese BBQ pork dish featuring pork shoulder strips marinated overnight in a sweet and savory sauce made from sugar, soy, hoisin, Chinese spices, and aromatics. The meat is roasted at a high temperature to develop a caramelized glaze with a tender, juicy interior. It's a classic and flavorful meat preparation often served sliced.
Description
The Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) recipe calls for selecting pork shoulder or pork butt with visible fat for moisture and flavor. The meat is cut into thick strips then marinated in a mixture that includes sugar, salt, five-spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, Shaoxing rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, garlic, and optional red food coloring for appearance.
After rubbing the marinade thoroughly on the pork, it is refrigerated for at least 8 hours or overnight to absorb flavor fully. Reserved marinade is kept for glazing or further use. Roasting is done in a hot oven at around 475°F, often on a rack in the upper third of the oven to ensure properly roasted edges and caramelization.
The resulting pork boasts a glossy, richly flavored crust infused with sweet-spicy notes from the marinade and tender, juicy meat inside. This dish complements rice or noodles as part of a meal.
Allowing sufficient marinating time is essential for depth of flavor and tenderness. The marinade mixture is balanced to create the distinctive tangy-sweet profile typical of Char Siu.
Share:
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder select a piece with some good fat on it, or pork butt, boneless
- ¼ cup sugar granulated white
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (or dry cooking sherry; optional)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons maltose or honey
- 1 tablespoon water hot
Instructions
- Cut the pork into long strips or chunks about 2 to 3 inches thick. Don’t trim any excess fat, as it will render off and add flavor.
- Combine the sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, food coloring (if using), and garlic in a bowl to make the marinade (i.e. the BBQ sauce).
- Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade and set it aside. Rub the pork with the rest of the marinade in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours. Cover and store the reserved marinade in the fridge as well.
- Preheat your oven to 'bake' at 475 F (246 C) with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven. (If you only have a convection oven, keep in mind the oven not only heats more quickly, your char siu will roast faster than what we have described here). It's amazing how oven temperatures can vary—from model to model, in different spots in the oven, and in how ovens pre-heat and maintain heat. Using an oven thermometer to double-check the actual oven temperature is a great safeguard to monitor your food (I say double-check because even oven thermostat calibrations vary and can sometimes be incorrect). Regardless, be sure to check your char siu every 10 minutes, reducing or increasing the temperature as needed.
- Line a sheet pan with foil and place a metal rack on top. Using the metal rack keeps the pork off of the pan and allows it to roast more evenly, like it does in commercial ovens described above. Place the pork on the rack, leaving as much space as possible between pieces. Pour 1 ½ cups water into the pan below the rack. This prevents any drippings from burning or smoking.
- Transfer the pork to your preheated oven. Roast for 25 minutes, keeping the oven setting at 475 F for the first 10 minutes of roasting, and then reduce your oven temperature to 375 F (190 C). After 25 minutes, flip the pork. If the bottom of the pan is dry, add another cup of water. Turn the pan 180 degrees to ensure even roasting. Roast another 15 minutes. Throughout the roasting time, check your char siu often (every 10 minutes) and reduce the oven temperature if it looks like it is burning!
- Meanwhile, combine the reserved marinade with the maltose or honey (maltose is very viscous––you can heat it up in the microwave to make it easier to work with) and 1 tablespoon hot water. This will be the sauce you’ll use for basting the pork.
- After 40 minutes of total roasting time, baste the pork, flip it, and baste the other side as well. Roast for a final 10 minutes.
- By now, the pork has cooked for 50 minutes total. It should be cooked through and caramelized on top. If it’s not caramelized to your liking, you can turn the broiler on for a couple minutes to crisp the outside and add some color/flavor. Be sure not to walk away during this process, since the sweet char siu BBQ sauce can burn if left unattended. You can also use a meat thermometer to check if the internal temperature of the pork has reached 160 degrees F. (Update: USDA recommends that pork should be cooked to 145 degrees F with a 3 minute resting time)
- Remove from the oven and baste with the last bit of reserved BBQ sauce. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing, and enjoy!
Notes
- Marinate pork for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight to develop authentic flavor and tenderness.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
274kcal
(14%)
Carbohydrates
14g
(5%)
Protein
39g
(78%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Cholesterol
102mg
(34%)
Sodium
832mg
(35%)
Potassium
678mg
(14%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
12g
(24%)
Vitamin C
0.3mg
(0%)
Calcium
19mg
(2%)
Iron
1.7mg
(9%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 274 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 274kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 102mg | 34% |
| Sodium | 832mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 678mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 19mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1.7mg | 9% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
1,168 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
