CHAR SIU CHINESE BBQ PORK

Char siu (Chinese character 叉燒) is a Chinese style barbecue pork which classified as a type of siu mei (燒味) in cantonese means roasted meat. Literally char siu also means “fork roasted”. This is a traditional cooking method for long strips of seasoned boneless pork the are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Marinate overnight for the best result 1

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 162kcal

Author Tracy O.

Equipment

1 Oven/ grill

Ingredients

2.5 pounds pork loin boneless country style ribs (You can use pork shoulder or butt if you like more fat.)

Marinated sauce:

½ cup Hoisin sauce
½ cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Brown sugar
¼ teaspoon Five spices powder
⅛ teaspoon Garlic powder
2 tablespoons Water

Brushing:

1 tablespoon Honey
½ tablespoon Water

Instructions

The secret tender and juicy homemade char siu like the restaurants is to soak the 2.5 pounds of pork into the 6 cups of water with 3 tablespoons of baked baking soda (mix it well) for 5 hours. Then, rinse it 3 times and use a paper towel to dry them. (You can skip this step if you don't want to do it this way.)
In a mixing bowl, put ½ cup of hoisin sauce, ½ cup of soy sauce, ¼ cup of brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of five spices, ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of water and mix it well.
Put the pork in a container and pour the marinade sauce over.
Let it marinate and refrigerate overnight. (After 6-8 hours, flip the other side if possible.)
Preheated oven for 375 F. Then, put foil over a cookie sheet and the rack on top of the cookie sheet. Next, lay the marinated pork on the rack. And, bake the pork for 10 minutes. Then, flip the other side and bake for another 10 minutes. (The cooking time is for boneless country style pork loin because they are already cut and smaller in size. If you use other parts of pork, you may need to cut them into smaller strips or adjust the baking time.)
In a small container, add honey and water and mix well. After that, brush the baked pork with honey water and broil it 2-3 minutes until it's a little brown. Then, flip the other side, brush honey water and broil for another 2-3 minutes.
After the pork is done, cover the pork with a foil and wait for 5-10 minutes. Then, slice the BBQ pork.

Video

Notes

Cooking tips for how to make char siu Chinese BBQ pork:

Marinate:

- The best to marinate the pork overnight. Flip the other sides after 6-8 hours.

Secret tip & preparation:

- The secret tender and juicy homemade char siu like the restaurants is to soak the cut pork shoulder, pork butt or boneless country style pork ribs into the 6 cups of water with 3 tablespoons of baked baking soda for 5 hours. Then, rinse it 3 times and marinate the pork overnight. This method can tenderize the meat and make it soft.

Oven baking:

- Bake Chinese BBQ pork on the rack, so char siu will be tender and moist.

- Temperature and baking time are very important for tender and moist bbq pork. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes for each side. (The cooking time is for boneless country style pork loin because they are already cut and smaller in size. If you use other parts of pork, you may need to cut them into smaller strips or adjust the baking time.)

- Brush the baked pork with honey water and broil them 2-3 minutes each side until it's a little brown.

Grill:

- When you grill the char siu pork, turn on the fire high then turn it to small or lower fire to grill it for 35-45 minutes. Flip and dip with the marinated sauce for 5-8 minutes, this can help the char siu pork juicy. Remember to keep your eyes on, to prevent burning the pork. After that, the last few minutes brush honey water.

Resting:

- After the pork is done, cover the bbq pork with a foil and wait for 5-10 minutes then slice the pork.

Nutrition