char siu (cantonese BBQ pork)

Char siu (叉燒) is a Cantonese-style barbecued pork originating from Guangdong, China. In Cantonese, char siu literally translates to “fork roasted”, as the traditional way of making it is by roasting long strips of seasoned pork skewered in long forks. This roast pork dish is usually eaten with rice, a classic dish in Hong Kong called char siu faan (叉燒飯), or used as a filling for buns such as cha siu bao (叉燒包).

Char siu is a juicy, sweet and savoury pork dish, with five-spice powder as its main seasoning and honey for its glaze. Its signature red exterior also comes from red fermented bean curd in traditional recipes, although it is not an essential ingredient for making this dish.

ingredients for making char siu:

• 650g pork shoulder/ pork belly (or any fatty pork cut)

char siu marinade:

• 4 tbsp Lee Kum Kee char siu sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 cube red fermented bean curd or a few drops of food colouring (optional)

honey glaze:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp hot water

which cut of pork should I use?

• Pork shoulder is usually a popular cut, which produces a much leaner char siu.
• I personally prefer a fattier cut, so you can also use pork belly for a juicier and tender char siu.
• Other options you can also choose from are pork loin and pork neck end.

red vibrant colour:

• You may have seen pictures or tried char siu in Chinese restaurants and recognise it immediately because of it’s red exterior layer. This is because traditional recipes include red fermented bean curd or red yeast rice powder in the marinade to give it it’s vibrant red colour.
• If you want that signature red colour in your char siu, you can add a cube of red fermented bean curd in the marinade. I didn’t use it in this recipe and it did not make any difference to the taste of the outcome.
• I’ve seen some recipes that added a tablespoon of red wine for some of that extra colour, which I think is a great idea!

steps:

1. Cut pork into long slices about 1 inch thick. Poke each side of the pork slices continuously with a fork to tenderise the meat and allow it to absorb the marinade better.
2. Place the meat into a zip lock bag and add the marinade sauce. Massage the meat with the marinade for a minute to ensure all parts of the pork is well covered with the marinade.
3. Press all the excess air out of the zip lock bag before sealing tight, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (or preferably overnight).
4. Preheat the oven to 170˚C/ 338˚F. Place the marinated pork on a baking rack on top of an aluminium foil lined baking tray and roast for a total of 40-50 minutes.
5. Check the pork every 10 minutes to see if the temperature needs adjusting. Take the pork out 2-3 times to flip the pork and glaze both sides with leftover marinade. For the last 10 minutes, glaze the pork with diluted honey. 
6. When done, let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

tips for making the best char siu:

• Marinating the char siu overnight is recommended, as the marinade would penetrate better into the meat.
• When roasting the char siu, placing the meat on a rack would be better than placing it on an aluminium foil lined baking tray, as the rack allows airflow circulation, which ensures an evenly roasted char siu on all sides.
• Make sure to line the tray with foil so that the tray would not be difficult to wash afterwards!
• Depending how thick your cut of pork is (and how much fat there is), adjust temperature and time accordingly. A lot of recipes roast at 200˚C, but since the cut I used had quite a lot of fat, I find that it burns my pork too easily, hence I lowered the temperature. Just make sure to keep an eye on it while it’s roasting!
• Double this recipe so you can save some leftover char siu for other recipes, such as fried rice, char siu bao, and other stir-fries!

more rice bowl recipes you might like:

• Steak butter rice with soy-cured egg yolk
• Chinese sticky rice (glutinous rice)
• Gyudon (beef rice bowl)

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