Char Siu

Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork)

Classic Cantonese char siu features pork shoulder marinated in a sweet-savory mixture of honey, hoisin, soy, and five-spice, then roasted until the edges char and the surface turns into a sticky, lacquered glaze. Served over rice, tucked into steamed buns, or simply eaten on its own.

Prep

30 min

Cook

35 min

Total

65 min

Serves

4 to 6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) pork shoulder, cut into 5 cm / 2 in thick strips, fat cap on
• •60 ml (¼ cup) honey, divided; plus extra for glazing
• •60 ml (¼ cup) hoisin sauce
• •45 ml (3 tbsp) soy sauce, light or all-purpose
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry if unavailable
• •20 g (4 tsp) fermented bean curd (red), 2 cubes, mashed with 1 tsp of its brine - this is the red coloring agent; substitute 1 tsp red food coloring plus 1 tbsp miso if you skip it
• •15 g (1 tbsp) brown sugar, packed
• •6 g (2 tsp) five-spice powder
• •6 g (2 cloves) garlic, minced
• •3 g (1 tsp) white pepper
• •2 g (1 tsp) sesame oil
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt
• •10 ml (2 tsp) neutral oil, for the roasting pan

Steps

1. 1 Whisk the honey (reserving 1 tbsp for glazing later), hoisin, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, mashed fermented bean curd, brown sugar, five-spice, garlic, white pepper, sesame oil, and salt together in a bowl until smooth.
2. 2 Place the pork strips in a non-reactive container or zip-top bag and pour the marinade over them. Massage it in well. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, ideally 24 hours, turning occasionally.
3. 3 When ready to cook, set an oven rack in the upper third and preheat to 220°C / 425°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and place a wire rack on top; brush the rack with the neutral oil.
4. 4 Lift the pork from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and arrange the strips on the rack, leaving space between them. Roast for 15 minutes.
5. 5 Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 3 minutes to cook out any raw-pork contact; this is the basting glaze.
6. 6 After 15 minutes, brush the pork generously with the boiled glaze. Roast 10 more minutes.
7. 7 Brush with the reserved 1 tbsp of plain honey, then broil (or raise oven to 260°C / 500°F) for 2 to 4 minutes, watching carefully, until the edges char and the surface bubbles into a lacquered, mahogany crust.
8. 8 Check doneness: the pork must reach an internal temperature of 71°C / 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, with visible charring at the edges but the center still juicy (not dry).
9. 9 Rest the pork on a cutting board for 8 to 10 minutes, then slice against the grain into 1 cm / ½ in pieces. Serve over jasmine rice, with steamed buns (char siu bao), or with sliced cucumber and a small dish of hot mustard.