I love making my own Slow-Roasted Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu or Cha Siu). Char Siu is a Cantonese-style of barbecued pork. Originating in Guangdong. The taste is remarkably akin to restaurant-quality! Char Siu is the best freshly cooked made with pork, sweet and savory barbecue marinade. Roasting the pork takes just an hour after marinating overnight. And, has so many versatile ways in any recipes like in Baked BBQ Pork Buns or Fried Rice. Or, just as an afternoon snack with your favorite condiments like ketchup, chinese mustard and white sesame seeds. However, consider making a larger batch and freezing any extras to have char siu bao on demand!
Day Trip
One of my favorite things to eat right out of the chinese takeout box is Char Siu. We would take our usual family day trip, twice a month, with a trip to Chinatown, Seattle Washington. And, if we have enough time we would treat ourselves to some dim sum at Jade Garden Restaurant. Then to Kau Kau for some Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork). Last but not least, back to the other side to our favorite Bakery Mon Hei, to buy Chicken Tails (Sweet Coconut-Filled Buns). However, if it doesn’t get too late we go to Alki, Beach to enjoy our treat and the incredible ambiance of fresh ocean air.
What is Char Siu?
What is Char 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 slow-roasted. Ensure you opt for pork shoulder or pork butt for the most succulent, flavorful outcome.
Throughout the years, the distinct sweetness of char siu found in noodle shops and roast meat establishments across Chinatowns worldwide has become iconic. However, in recent times, numerous restaurants have cut back on the spices!
An excellent char siu recipe embodies a rich flavor profile—a harmonious blend of salty and sweet notes with a touch of spice that perfectly complements the pork.
Cantonse cuisine
Char siu derives its name from its traditional cooking method, “fork roasted,” with “siu” meaning burn or roast, and “cha” referring to the fork, which serves both as a noun and a verb. This technique involves skewering long strips of seasoned boneless pork with elongated forks and cooking them in a covered oven or over an open flame.
Historically, char siu was crafted from wild boar and other locally available meats. However, in contemporary times, the preferred choice is typically a shoulder cut of domestic pork. This pork is seasoned with a blend of ingredients, including honey, five-spice powder, red fermented bean curd, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and, although not traditional, red food coloring, which is commonly used today and is optional. Additionally, sherry or rice wine may be included, also optional. These seasonings contribute to the rich, dark red hue of the meat’s exterior, reminiscent of the “smoke ring” found in American barbecue. Maltose is sometimes employed to create the glossy glaze characteristic of char siu.
What are the different cuts of pork needed?
Char siu can be made 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 char siu.
Why is Char Siu so red?
Back in the day, they used red yeast rice as a coloring agent for many foods like fermented tofu, red rice vinegar, Char Siu Peking duck, and Chinese pastries that require red food coloring. Although, that red food colouring is often used in place of the red bean curd for convenience.
Red yeast rice powder naturally adds a reddish hue and is used to color fermented bean curd. It’s readily available in health food/supplement stores and online platforms like Amazon. However, finding it in powder form, rather than capsules, might be more challenging. If you prefer not to use it, you can skip the red coloring altogether or substitute with food coloring. Additionally, red yeast rice powder is noted for its potential health benefits, which adds to its appeal.
Many of these items can be found in the international section of supermarkets, but some may require a visit to an Asian market or online shopping on platforms like Amazon. Fermented red bean curd, for instance, is available in Asian markets and on Amazon but may not be stocked in local supermarkets. (Note that it isn’t like adding regular tofu to your dish; it imparts a distinct, hard-to-place depth of flavor, even for those who aren’t typically fans of bean curd.) If unavailable, you can simply omit it and increase the amount of oyster sauce.
Explore More Recipes with Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork (Preserve for Later!)
Once you’ve perfected the art of preparing char siu at home, you can relish its flavors straight from the oven without the hassle of battling traffic or crowds in Chinatown.
BUT there’s more—you can also create a plethora of delightful dishes! Prepare a large batch, freeze any surplus roast pork, and later utilize it to whip up Pork Buns, Pork Fried Rice, and beyond.
Ingredients you will need to Make Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork
- pork shoulder without the rind
- cloves of garlic
- sugar
- hoisin sauce
- oyster sauce
- sweet chili sauce
- dark molasses
- Shaoxing rice wine
- Chinese five spice powder
- honey
- white pepper
- red yeast rice powder or red fermented bean curd liquid (optional for coloring)
- roasting pan
- basting brush
How to Make Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork
First, cut the pork shoulder into 2 to 3-inch thick strips. Don’t trim any excess fat, as it will render off and add flavor.
To Make Marinade: Combine the Hoisin Sauce, Oyster sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, dark molasses, sherry wine, ketchup, garlic, sugar, Chinese five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil in a bowl to make the marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup for sauce and set aside.
Prep Pork to Marinade: Place pork in a baking dish or ziploc, add marinade, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. However, for best results marinade overnight.
Be sure to take out the marinated pork out of the fridge and let rest for at least 30 to an hour. This will guarantee that the pork cooks evenly all the way through to the center.
Prep Pork to roast: When you are ready to roast the pork, drain the marinade, take a paper towel and dab off excess marinade. Place in a roasting pan with fat side up and transfer to the oven. If using hanging stainless steel hooks. Reposition oven rack to the top position. Place hooks on the oven rack and then place pork on the hooks.
Bake at 325 F for 50 minutes. While pork is roasting brush with glaze every 15 minutes. Then to give that nice charred edging, turn oven on broil for 2 -3 minutes.
Check out these amazing recipes:
Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
Ingredients
1/2 lb – 1 lb pork shoulder without the rind
Marinade:
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark molasses
- 1 tbsp Sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¾ tsp sesame oil
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup honey
- left over marinade
Instructions
- Cut pork into 2 to 3-inch thick strips. Don’t trim any excess fat, as it will render off and add flavor.
- To Make Marinade: Combine the Hoisin Sauce, Oyster sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, dark molasses, sherry wine, ketchup, garlic, sugar, Chinese five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil in a bowl to make the marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup for glaze and set aside.
- Prep Pork to Marinade: Place pork in a baking dish or ziploc, add marinade, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. However, for best results marinade overnight.
- Be sure to take out the marinated pork out of the fridge and let rest for at least 30 to an hour. This will guarantee that the pork cooks evenly all the way through to the center.
- Prep Pork to roast: When you are ready to roast the pork, drain the marinade, take a paper towel and dab off excess marinade. Place in a roasting pan with fat side up and transfer to the oven. If using hanging stainless steel hooks. Reposition oven rack to the top position. Place hooks on the oven rack and then place pork on the hooks.
- Bake at 325 F for 50 minutes. Take out and brush with glaze and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
NOTE:
Airfryer method: With a paper towel, dab off excess marinade and place in a roasting pan fat side up. Cook in an air fryer for 20 minutes. Take out and brush with glaze and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Use stainless steel S-hooks to spear the marinated meat, and hang meat from an oven rack (set at its highest position) with a foil-covered baking tray on the bottom of the oven to catch any drips. The meat hangs freely and cooks evenly. Alternatively, you could place the meat on a roasting rack turning it once or twice as it cooks.
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