Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) Dumplings
Ingredients
US|METRIC
4 SERVINGS
1 package dumpling wrappers
1 pound pork (– char siu, chopped)
5 teaspoons oyster sauce
5 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice
5 teaspoons honey
2 stalks green onion (finely chopped)
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Chinese BBQ Pork Spareribs
Ingredients
US|METRIC
4 SERVINGS
4 pounds pork spareribs (silver skin removed and cut into individual ribs)
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder (ground)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chinese mustard (spicy)
2 tablespoons honey
toasted sesame seeds
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Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Ingredients
US|METRIC
4 SERVINGS
3 pounds pork shoulder butt (sliced into 2 inch thick slabs)
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons maltose (or honey)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon water
red food coloring
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Chinese Barbecued Pork
READY IN: 55mins
SERVES: 8
YIELD: 2 Pork Loins
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar, Packed
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 garlic clove, Minced
2 (12 ounce) whole pork tenderloin
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DIRECTIONS
Preheat Oven To 350.
Combine soy sauce, wine, sugar, honey, food coloring, cinnamon and garlic in a large bowl.
Add meat to marinade making sure it is coated with marinade.
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, overnight is better turning meat occasionally.
Place meat on a wire rack over a baking pan along with marinade.
Bake 45 minutes turning and basting frequently with marinade.
Let meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Chinese BBQ Pork
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Authentic and homemade Chinese BBQ pork marinated with sticky char siu sauce and roasted in oven.
This recipe is easy and tastes just like the best Chinese restaurants.
This dish is called Char Siu in Cantonese dialect, or Chashao (??) in Chinese language.
It is of Cantonese origin where marinated skewers of pork meat or pork belly are barbecued to charred, savory, and sticky sweet perfection.
This Chinese bbq pork recipe is 100% homemade and tastes just like the best of Chinatown.
Pork belly Chinese bbq pork recipe made of pork belly.
The Best Chinese BBQ Pork
For the best homemade Chinatown barbecued pork, here are the list of secret ingredients you will need:
Choice of meat – if you love tender, juicy, moist and fatty pork, please use pork belly.
If you prefer meaty texture, go for pork loin. If you like it somewhere in between, pork butt or pork shoulder will be a great choice.
Maltose – called ” ???” in Chinese, maltose is the secret ingredient that gives Chinese barbecued pork that sticky sweet taste and texture.
If you can’t find maltose, you can use a good quality honey as substitute.
Chinese rose wine (????) – this Chinese wine has an intense fragrant and aroma.
It lends the iconic taste and flavor to this recipe.
Chinese five-spice powder (???) is a mixture of fives spices used in Chinese recipes. It’s a key ingredient for Cantonese BBQ meats.
How to Make Chinese BBQ Pork?
This is the best recipe that is better than any Chinese restaurants.
The end result is juicy, moist, tender, delicious pork belly barbecued to sticky perfection.
First, make the Chinese BBQ pork marinade sauce in a sauce pan.
Next, marinate the pork with the marinade overnight.
The next day, roast the pork in the oven.
You may finish it off with the Broil function on your oven, or you may use an outdoor grill to barbecue the pork for perfect chars on the surface.
Slice up into thin pieces and serve immediately.
Chinese barbecued pork cut into pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Chinese BBQ Pork Red?
The red color is due to red food color used in the BBQ pork sauce or marinade.
Not all recipes call for red food color, however some Chinese or Cantonese restaurants use red food color to enhance the appearance of the bbq pork.
Can I Use it to Make Chinese BBQ Pork Buns?
Yes, you can.
It is the main ingredient for char siu bao pork buns.
What is the Dipping Sauce for this Recipe?
You may use the marinade sauce as a dipping sauce.
However, you can serve the pork as is because it’s flavorful and delicious without any dipping sauces.
Can I Freeze Chinese BBQ Pork?
I don’t recommend freezing because it will make the pork rubbery, chewy and tough.
You can keep the barbecued pork in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure that you wrap it tightly with plastic wraps.
To serve, you may heat it up for 30 seconds before serving.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe is only 259 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
Chinese BBQ pork is best served with steamed rice or on top of wonton noodles.
For a wholesome Cantonese-style meal, I recommend the following recipes.
chow mein.
Chow Mein
Wonton soup
Wonton Soup
Chinese Vegetables
Chinese Vegetables (Choy Sum)
Chinese roast pork
Chinese Roast Pork
Chinese BBQ Pork
Chinese bbq pork
Authentic and homemade Chinese BBQ pork marinated with sticky char siu sauce and roasted in oven. This recipe is easy and tastes just like the best Chinese restaurants.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb (0.4kg) pork belly, pork shoulder, pork butt or pork tenderloin, cut into 3 to 4 long strips
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Chinese BBQ Pork Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons maltose
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rose wine or Shaoxing wine
3 dashes ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
Add all the ingredients in the Chinese BBQ Pork Sauce in a sauce pan, heat it up on low heat.
Stir to combine well.
The sauce is ready when it thickens and becomes sticky.
(It yields 1/2 cup sauce.) Transfer out and let cool.
Rub the garlic on the pork. Add 2/3 of the sauce to marinate the pork for at least 4 hours, or best overnight.
Add the cooking oil to the remaining sauce. Keep the sauce in the fridge.
The next day, heat the oven to 375F or 190C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Place the pork on the baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. (Shake off the excess sauce before roasting.)
Transfer the pork out of the oven. Let cool and thread the pork pieces on metal skewers.
Brush the remaining char siu sauce on the pork and grill them over fire on an outdoor grill.
You may also grill them over fire on a gas cooktop.
If you don't have either, you may select the Broil function on your oven and broil each side of the pork, about 1 minute each, or until slightly charred.
Chinese bbq pork roasted in oven.
Slice the Chinese BBQ pork into bite-size pieces, drizzle the remaining sauce over and serve immediately with steamed white rice. Chinese bbq pork
Char Siu Pork (Chinese BBQ Pork)
An Authentic Char Siu Pork recipe
There are two things in this recipe that I do differently to traditional Char Siu to make this easier but still yield an excellent end result that tastes like store bought:
Cooked in the oven instead of over coals; and
Red food colouring to stain the pork red.
Authentic Char Siu gets the red colour from a speciality ingredient called fermented red bean curds which is red.
It’s calls for a trip to the Asian store and you’ll have to hunt deep into the dark corners to find it
While it makes the pork red, the small amount used doesn’t add any flavour.
And because I have no other use for red bean curds,
I started making it using red food colouring instead and found the end result was exactly the same both in flavour and visual.
So I stuck with it!
What goes in Char Siu Sauce
Here’s what you need for the Char Siu Sauce which is used to marinade the pork – all things you can get from everyday grocery stores:
What goes in Char Siu Sauce for Char Siu Pork - Chinese BBQ Pork
Pork – the best pork for Char Siu is pork scotch fillet. See next section for more information;
Sugar – brown sugar is best for lovely caramel flavours in the marinade. But even white sugar is fine;
Soy sauces – I like to use light and all purpose soy sauce for the best flavour balance, but you can just use just one of these.
Do not use dark soy sauce, it’s way too strong. Read more about different soy sauces here;
Chinese five spice – pre mixed store bought blend, very common these days.
Sold in the spice section fo everyday supermarkets and doesn’t cost anymore than other spices;
Hoisin – common Chinese sauce, found in the Asian section. It’s sweet, savoury and has a hint of Five Spice Powder;
Red food colouring – as discussed above, this is used to stain the pork red; and
Honey – this is added to the marinade to turn it into a basting sauce.
It makes the pork extra shiny and caramelised which is exactly what we want!
Best pork for Char Siu
I finally managed to get a Chinese barbecue shop to tell me what cut of meat they use. Pork scotch fillet!!
Also known as Pork Neck, Pork Collar or Pork Neck Collar, this is an excellent cut of pork which is ideal for both quick cooking
(such as pan seared pork chops) and slow cooking (such as this Slow Roasted Brown Sugar Garlic Butter Pork).
Cutting pork for Char Siu Pork - Chinese BBQ Pork
Char Siu Pork is also terrific made with pork shoulder – I’d say just as good.
Some people like to make it with pork belly but I find it too fatty for my taste.
I used to use pork tenderloin which is much leaner so you do need to be careful about overcooking,
whilst still achieving that caramelisation – cook times for this cut are in the recipe notes.
Scotch fillet and shoulder are much easier to cook with
– they require longer cook time to make the meat juicy which means incredible caramelisation which is what we WANT!
How to make Char Siu Pork
Char Siu is simple to make,
it just calls for patience to let the pork marinade to infuse with flavour and make the pork stained red! At least 24 hours, but 48 hours is even better.
How to make Char Siu Pork - Chinese BBQ Pork
Be sure to baste generously, slathering / dabbing the marinade on – it’s the key to get a really great sticky surface!
Char Siu Pork - Chinese BBQ Pork fresh out of the oven
How to serve Chinese BBQ Pork
As for how to serve it, here’s a very typical meal set served at Chinese BBQ shops:
slices of pork over rice with a side of steamed greens with sauce (this Steamed Chinese Greens with Oyster Sauce is similar)
This is a Chinese BBQ Shop takeout favourite – “BBQ Pork Lunch!”
Dishes made using Chinese BBQ Pork
Char Siu Pork is also used in a handful of Chinese dishes, such as
Chinese Steamed Pork Buns – big fluffy white buns filled with BBQ pork
Singapore Noodles
Fried Rice – Char Siu is often in “special fried rice” in place of Chinese sausage or bacon
In addition, sometimes you see it as a protein option for Chinese Noodle Soup (slices of Char Siu are placed on top)
and I’ve also seen it in Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) – it’s AMAZING!!
Slice of Char Siu Pork served over rice
This Char Siu Pork recipe makes quite a lot because the standard size of pork scotch fillet roasts is around 1.2 – 1.5kg/2.4-3lb.
But you’ll thank me. Just one bite, and you’ll be thanking me profusely for making this a big-batch recipe.
Char Siu Pork – Chinese BBQ Pork
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Recipe video above. Your favourite Chinese barbecue pork made at home!
Slow cooked so it's juicy on the inside with the most incredible sticky glaze,
this is finger licking' good! Chicken version here.
Ingredients
Marinade
? 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar (white also ok)
? 1/4 cup honey
? 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
? 2 tbsp light soy sauce , or all purpose soy (Note 1)
? 1 tbsp soy sauce , just all purpose (or more light soy) (Note 1)
? 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 2)
? 1 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola) (Note 3)
? 2 tsp red food colouring , optional (Note 4)
Cooking:
? 1.2 – 1.5kg / 2.4 – 3lb pork scotch fillet (aka collar neck, pork neck) OR pork shoulder (Note 5)
? 2 tbsp Extra Honey
Instructions
Marinade pork:
Cut pork in half to make two long strips. (Note 5)
Mix Marinade ingredients in a bowl.
Place the pork and Marinade in a stain proof container or ziplock bag.
Marinate 24 to 48 hours in the fridge (3 hours is the bare minimum).
To Roast:
Preheat oven to 160C/320F.
Line a tray with foil and place a rack on top (recommended but not critical).
Remove pork from the marinade, save Marinade. Place pork on rack.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour reserved marinade in a saucepan. Mix Extra Honey into marinade.
Bring to simmer over medium high and cook for 2 minutes until syrupy.
Remove from heat.
Remove pork from oven. Dab marinade all over, then turn. Baste then roast for a further 30 minutes.
Remove pork from oven. Brush with marinade again, then turn, brush with marinade and roast for a further 20 minutes.
If charring too quickly, cover with foil.
Baste again on surface then bake for a further 10 minutes until caramelised and sticky.
Meat should be tender but not falling apart, like with pulled pork.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve with rice and steamed Chinese greens. See notes for more uses!
Recipe Notes:
1. Soy Sauce – The light soy sauce adds a touch more salt to the marinade, the balance I like.
But it’s fine to use all light soy sauce, or all ordinary soy sauce.
Do not use dark soy sauce (flavour is too intense).
More on different soy sauces here, and when you can substitute, when you can’t.
2. Chinese five spice powder (a mix of spices) – find it in the herb and spice section of supermarkets and it isn’t any more expensive than other spices, very common nowadays.
You can substitute the Chinese five spice powder with 1 tbsp extra hoisin sauce BUT you should reduce the sugar to 1 tsp, otherwise it will be too sweet.
3. Oil – Or other neutral flavoured oil.
4. Red food colouring – to make the pork red, like you get at the Chinese barbecue shop.
This is optional.
Authentic Char Siu uses red bean curd for colouring and a touch of flavour – it can be found at Asian stores, use about 2 tbsp of the liquid and no red food colouring.
I use the marinade in this recipe more frequently than the authentic version because I can get all the ingredients at the supermarket
and it has a slightly more intense flavour – makes up for absence of charcoal in this home version.
5. Pork – I used to make this with pork tenderloin (Note 6)
but I’ve moved to scotch fillet roast (pictured in post) and pork shoulder because they are ideal for longer cooking to get amazing caramelisation and the pork is incredibly juicy inside.
Scotch fillet is also known as Pork Neck, Pork Collar or Pork Neck Collar. This is what Chinese BBQ shops in Australia use.
Pork shoulder is also ideal – beautifully juicy. If using pork shoulder, using boneless, skinless and trim off most of the thick layer of fat on the surface.
Then cut into long thin pieces, like pictured in post with the scotch fillet. The meat will buckle and twist more when cooked because the meat is more sinewy. Flavour is excellent!
Some people also make this using pork belly but I find that too oily for my taste for this particular recipe.
Cutting pork – doesn’t really matter which way you cut it, horizontal or straight down the middle (see in post for photos).
If you have a thick piece of pork, cut in half horizontally to make two long, flat, thin pieces. If it’s not that thick, just cut it straight down the middle
6. PORK TENDERLOIN cooking directions (photo here of how it looks): Roast at 180C/350F for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 – 160F/ 65 – 70C.
Around halfway through roasting, baste generously with the reserved Marinade.
Sort of dab it on so you get as much Marinade on the pork as possible – this is key for getting the thick, glossy glaze.
Then flick to broiler/grill on high and broil for a few minutes until surface is charred and glossy, basting once or twice.
7. Leftovers – I continue to eat it for days, but also freeze excess.
Char Siu is also used in Singapore Noodles, Chinese Fried Rice (also see Egg Fried Rice) and is also terrific served on Chinese Noodle Soup.
8. Nutrition per serving assuming 6 servings. This is overstated because it doesn’t take into account the fat that is rendered out when cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 438cal (22%)Carbohydrates: 20g (7%)Protein: 48g (96%)Fat: 17g (26%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 150mg (50%)
Sodium: 852mg (37%)Potassium: 897mg (26%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 18g (20%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 45mg (5%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Chinese BBQ Pork #18599
Restaurant-style Chinese pork is so unique tasting that it's hard to believe you can make it at home.
Not to worry: an overnight marinade in this simple mixture does the trick.
ingredients
2 (12 ounce size) pork tenderloins
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
directions
Trim any excess fat from the pork.
Combine the soy sauce, red wine, brown sugar, honey, food coloring, cinnamon, onion, and garlic in a shallow non-reactive dish or plastic zip-top bag.
Add the pork, turning to coat in the marinade, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or overnight).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Drain the marinade from the pork into a saucepan. Place the pork on a rack in a baking dish. Bring the marinade to a boil over medium-high heat.
Remove from the heat.
Place the baking dish in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.
Baste occasionally with the marinade.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing the pork.
nutrition
164 calories, 4 grams fat, 6 grams carbohydrates, 25 grams protein per serving. This recipe is low in carbs.
Show full nutritional data (including Weight Watcher's Points ®, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins, and diabetic exchanges)
Good and very similar to restaurant quality, but not crispy on the outside and sauce is not quite thick enough.
Here's what I'll do next time: Add minced ginger. Slightly less cinnamon. Thicken the marinade first by heating on the stove.
Put some marinade aside for glazing afterwords - add honey and oil to glaze part. To get that crispy texture, bake in oven for 15min, then finish on a real bbq (hence the name).
Use pork butt. Make sure all pieces are the same size, otherwise they cook unevenly. Really happy to finally make it since I love it sooooo much. Thanks!!!!
The overall preparation and presentation of this recipe was excellent, just too much cinnamon.
I will keep this recipe but just a dash of cinnamon, if any gave it a flavor I have never had in Chinese style BBQ pork.
I added red wine vinegar instead of red wine to tenderize the meat. Thanks for the basic recipe.
Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Growing up in the Catskills, the first time I saw this Chinese BBQ pork, or char siu, was at the Holiday Inn of all places.
My father, the hotel restaurant’s head chef at the time, used a closely guarded recipe of Chinese sauces, lots of garlic, and spices to make his classic char siu.
While we first posted this recipe on The Woks of Life years ago (February 2014 to be exact), we’ve re-tested and made a few tweaks to the recipe that I’m sure he’d approve of! Also scroll down for a new recipe video!
What Is Char Siu?
Char siu (??) is a type of Cantonese roast meat. Char siu (or slightly different spelling, cha siu) is its Cantonese name, but in Mandarin, it is known as cha shao.
To make char siu, pork is marinated in a sweet BBQ sauce and then roasted.
Over the years, the flavor of the char siu one could get in noodle shops and roast meat restaurants in Chinatowns around the world developed a signature sweetness.
But today, many restaurants skimp on the spices!
A good char siu recipe has depth of flavor–
–a salty/sweet contrast with a hint of spice that compliments the pork and allows it to stand alone with just a simple mound of steamed rice and blanched choy sum.
Picking up char siu with chopsticks, thewoksoflife.com
While different cuts of pork can be used to make char siu, from lean boneless pork loin to fattier cuts,
those fatty cuts like pork shoulder/pork butt really are best suited to making a tasty Chinese BBQ pork char siu.
Char Siu
Other Recipes Using Char Siu (Freeze It For Later!)
Once you master how to make char siu at home, you can enjoy it anytime fresh out of the oven without fighting traffic or crowds in Chinatown.
BUT you can ALSO make many more delicious recipes!
You can make a big batch, freeze any unused roast pork, and then take it out to make Pork Buns, Pork Fried Rice, and more.
Here are some more recipes you can try:
Char Siu Bao (Baked BBQ Pork Buns)
Char Siu Bao (Steamed)
Classic Pork Fried Rice
Stir-fried Pork & Mixed Vegetables
Chinese BBQ Pork Pineapple Buns
Char Siu Recipe 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, Chinese 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).
Char Siu Marinade, thewoksoflife.com
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.
Marinated Pork for Char Siu, thewoksoflife.com
Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours. Cover and store the reserved marinade in the fridge as well.
In my parent’s restaurant, we had a large standing roasting oven the size of a narrow refrigerator,
where the pork could hang from these large S-shaped hooks over a pan of water to roast evenly at very high temperatures and get some good color and flavor.
To simulate this at home, 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.
Pork on Roasting Pan, thewoksoflife.com
If you don’t own a sheet pan and roasting rack, check out our Chinese Cooking tools page to find our more about the sheet pan and roasting rack we use in our kitchen.
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).
(Update: previously, we called for a roasting temperature of 475F for the full duration of cooking, which, on some home ovens was too hot.
We have adjusted the instructions here.)
Char Siu Pork in Oven, thewoksoflife.com
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.
Making basting sauce with maltose and marinade
After 40 minutes of total roasting time, baste the pork…
Basting Char Siu, thewoksoflife.com
Then flip it, and baste the other side as well. Roast for a final 10 minutes.
Flipping Char Siu, thewoksoflife.com
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 F.
(Update: USDA recommends that pork should be cooked to 145 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!
Sliced Char Siu, thewoksoflife.com
Sliced Char Siu Pork, thewoksoflife.com
We like to serve our Char Siu with white rice (or brown rice) and greens!
Char Siu Rice Plate with Greens, thewoksoflife.com
Use Chinese BBQ pork in place of ham in our super easy banquet fried rice recipe,
in our Classic Pork Fried Rice, our Chinese BBQ Pork Buns (steamed or baked), or Sarah’s Roast Pork Puffs.
If you want to try this Chinese BBQ pork out on the grill, check out our recipe for BBQ Char Siu on the Grill!
Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Char siu, or Chinese BBQ Pork, is a delicious Cantonese roast meat. Make authentic Chinatown char siu at home with our restaurant-quality recipe!
by: Bill
Course:Pork
Cuisine:Chinese
Keyword:char siu, Chinese BBQ pork, Chinese cha siu, chinese roast pork
Sliced Char Siu, thewoksoflife.com
serves:
8
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Print
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Ingredients
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder/pork butt (select a piece with some good fat on it)
¼ cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon five spice powder
¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
3 cloves finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons maltose or honey
1 tablespoon hot water
US Customary - Metric
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!
Tips & Notes:
Note: Prep time does not include overnight marinating time.
nutrition facts
Calories: 274kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 14g (5%) Protein: 39g (78%) Fat: 6g (9%) Saturated Fat: 2g (10%) Cholesterol: 102mg (34%) Sodium: 832mg (35%) Potassium: 678mg (19%)
Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 12g (13%) Vitamin C: 0.3mg Calcium: 19mg (2%) Iron: 1.7mg (9%)
nutritional info disclaimer
TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes
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