Sweet and Sticky Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp honey (or maltose, barley malt syrup, or fancy molasses; for the marinade)
• 2 red fermented tofu (cubes; also known as red bean curd)
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 garlic (cloves, roughly chopped (approx. 1.5 tbsp))
• 4 ginger (slices, roughly chopped (approx. 2-3 tbsp))
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 2 tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine (or dry sherry)
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Korean pepper flakes
• 2.5 lb pork shoulder (cut into long strips, 3 inches wide)
• 2 tbsp honey (for the glaze)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the pork shoulder into long strips that are roughly 3 inches thick, approximately 3 inches wide and 5-7 inches long.

2. 2

   In a large ziplock bag or a big bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons honey, red fermented tofu, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, Chinese five spice powder, rice wine, salt, and Korean pepper flakes.

3. 3

   Add the pork strips to the marinade, ensuring they are well coated, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

4. 4

   Remove the meat from the marinade and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.

5. 5

   Pour the leftover marinade, including the chunks of garlic and ginger, into a small pot.

6. 6

   Add the additional 2 tablespoons of honey to the pot and mix well.

7. 7

   Cook the glaze on low heat on the stove for 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to boil, then set aside for glazing.

8. 8

   For BBQ Grilling: Heat BBQ to 325°F (162°C). Cook the pork for 15 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (62°C).

9. 9

   Once at 145°F (62°C), apply the glaze 4-5 times, flipping the meat every minute to prevent burning until it looks red, sticky, and slightly charred.

10. 10

    For Oven Roasting: Pre-heat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a sheet pan with foil and place a metal rack over it for airflow.

11. 11

    Place the pork on the rack and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the pork and bake for another 20 minutes.

12. 12

    Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (218°C). For the final 20 minutes of cooking, flip and glaze the meat every 5 minutes until all glaze is used and internal temperature reaches 145°F (62°C).

13. 13

    Remove the meat from the heat and let it rest for 15-20 minutes on a plate before slicing.

Notes

If you don't have a metal roasting rack, you can use crumpled balls of aluminum foil to prop the meat up for airflow. Leftover char siu is excellent in fried rice. For a traditional dipping sauce, mix plum sauce with mustard.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pork
• Chinese
• BBQ
• grilled
• baked
• dinner