Char Siu Recipe
Char Siu is a popular way to flavor barbecued pork in Cantonese cuisine. A very versatile food that you can partner with rice, noodle or you can stuff it in a bun. Char Siu can be purchased from a siu mei establishment, which specializes in meat dishes. If you are in a Hello! Hong Kong tour, you might have seen it once or several times as these shops usually display the merchandise by hanging them in the window.
Making Char siu is pretty straight forward and you can easily make it on your own. You can make at the comforts of your home for your family gatherings or just a simple dinner or lunch.
Video credits: Thewoksoflife
INGREDIENTS
2 Pork tenderloins
½ Cup soy sauce
⅓ Cup honey
⅓ Cup ketchup
⅓ Cup brown sugar
¼ Cup Chinese rice wine
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
½ Teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
1 Teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (optional)
PROCEDURE
Cut pork with the grain into strips 1 1/2- to 2-inches long; put into a large resealable plastic bag
Stir soy sauce, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, rice wine, hoisin sauce, red food coloring or red bean curd (see Cook's Note), and Chinese five-spice powder together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until just combined and slightly warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the marinade into the bag with the pork, squeeze the air from the bag, and seal. Turn the bag a few times to coat all pork pieces in marinade.
Marinate pork in the refrigerator, 2 hours to overnight.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
Remove pork from marinade and shake to remove excess liquid. Discard remaining marinade.
Cook pork on a preheated grill for 20 minutes. Put a small container of water onto the grill and continue cooking, turning the pork regularly, until cooked through about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
You can now enjoy your home made Char Siu barbecue pork! Happy cooking!