Char Siu Pork (Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork)

A plate of chinese bbq pork sitting on rice with greens on the side.

Char Siu Pork (Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork)

This better than takeout Char Siu Pork is the last char siu recipe you will ever need. This versatile sweet, savory, juicy, and tender Chinese bbq pork can be served on its own or with rice, noodles, dim sum and so much more.

Course Lunch & Dinner Recipes

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 575kcal

Author Takes Two Eggs

Ingredients

Char Siu Pork Marinade

2-3 lbs pork shoulder
3 cloves garlic about 2 teaspoons finely minced
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
¼ cup brown sugar packed
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons molasses or honey, but not blackstrap molasses
1 cube red fermented tofu aka red bean curd
2 teaspoon of red fermented tofu sauce
¼ teaspoon red food coloring optional

Glaze

Leftover marinade
3 tablespoon maltose or honey
1 tablespoon boiling water

Instructions

Marinate the Pork

Prepare the pork. Slice the pork into long strips about 1-1.5 inch thick, 2 inch wide, about 7 inches long. Then tenderize with a fork for about 2 minutes this allows the meat to absorb the marinade.
Make the marinade. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the garlic, five spice powder, brown sugar, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, molasses, red fermented tofu (red bean curd), red fermented tofu sauce, light soy sauce and food coloring (if using). Mix the marinade, smashing the red fermented tofu until evenly mixed and smooth.
Marinate the pork. In a large ziploc bag, add the pork and pour in the marinade. Using your hands, massage the bag so that the meat is thoroughly marinated. Remove all the air from the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours and a maximum of 24 hours. After 24 hours the meat will become tough.

Prepare the Glazes for Basting

Before cooking. Take the meat out of the bag and let the meat sit out for 1 hour to bring to room temperature before cooking. Pour the remaining marinade from the bag into mixing bowl and remove any garlic chunks. Set aside.
Mix together the maltose (honey) and boiling water. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the maltose and boiling water until it turns into a spreadable syrup. You may need to microwave the maltose for 30 seconds or so before scooping it out to make it easier to work with. Set aside.

Cook the Pork

Prepare the oven and baking tray. Preheat the oven to 425° F (218° C). Line a sheet pan with foil and place a wire rack tray on top of the sheet pan. This allows the air to circulate throughout the entire meat evenly. Place the meat on the wire rack leaving some room in between each piece. Add about 1/2 cup of water into the sheet pan below the wire rack to prevent the drippings from burning or smoking. This also allows the meat to gently be steamed while baking.
Bake for 15 minutes and baste with leftover marinade. Gently place the tray in the oven in the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, lather both sides with the leftover marinade.
Continue baking for an additional 10 minutes and baste again. Repeat by lathering the leftover marinade on both sides.
Cook for 10 minutes and glaze with maltose syrup. Glaze both sides of meat with maltose syrup.
Cook for another 5-10 minutes. The pork should cook for a total of 40-45 minutes. Take the pork out when it is slightly charred and has an internal temperature of 155°F-160°F (68°C-71°C). Immediately when you remove the meat, brush both sides of the meat with the maltose syrup one last time. Cover with foil and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing

Notes

Choose a fatty cut of meat. The fat on the meat is what aids in providing a rich, juicy tender cut of meat. The slow roasting process allows the meat to absorb some of the fat making it even more juicy and delicious.

Microwave the maltose before measuring it out and grease the measuring spoon. Microwaving the maltose will allow you to easily manage the maltose. And greasing the spoon will allow you to easily remove the maltose from the spoon. Mixing the maltose with boiling water will thin out the maltose making it easier to use for glazing the pork.
The pork should rest for 5 minutes before cutting. The meat should look juicy, glazed, and slightly charred on the edges. The meat should have an internal temperature of 155°F-160°F (68°C-71°C) checking on the thickest portion of the meat. If the pork does not have some charred bits, you can always turn on the broil at the end for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. The meat needs to rest to absorb the juices before you slice the pork.

Nutrition