Name: Cantonese Char Siu Pork
Prep time: 260 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 315 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: 2 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut lengthwise into 2-inch-thick strips; 1/3 cup hoisin sauce; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine; 2 cubes red fermented bean curd, mashed with 1 tbsp of its liquid; 3 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp chinese five-spice powder; 3 garlic cloves, finely grated; 1/4 tsp ground white pepper; 3 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp hot water; 1 cup pickled mustard greens, sliced, for serving; 1 fresh red chili, sliced, for serving

Cantonese Char Siu Pork

4.8 from 229 home cooks Free

Strips of pork shoulder soak overnight in hoisin, five-spice and fermented bean curd, then roast and baste until the edges turn ruby red and slightly charred. Slice it thin and fan it out with tangy pickled mustard greens and a fresh chili. Leftovers belong in fried rice or steamed buns.

Prep

4 hr 20 min

Cook

55 min

Total

5 hr 15 min

Serves

Level

Medium

Cuisine

Cantonese

Method

Step 1: Whisk the hoisin, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, fermented bean curd, sugar, five-spice, garlic and white pepper until smooth. Set aside 1/4 cup of this marinade in the fridge for basting.
Step 2: Put the pork strips in a zip-top bag, pour in the rest of the marinade, and massage it in. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight, turning the bag once.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with foil, pour in 1 cup water to keep the drippings from burning, and set a wire rack on top. Lay the pork on the rack, letting excess marinade drip off.
Step 4: Roast 25 minutes. Stir the reserved marinade with the honey and hot water, brush it thickly over the pork, flip, and brush the other side. Roast 15 minutes more.
Step 5: Brush again and roast 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are dark and caramelized and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest strip reads at least 145F. Shoulder stays juicy even a little higher.
Step 6: For extra char, run the strips under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes per side, watching constantly. Rest at least 3 minutes, ideally 10.
Step 7: Slice across the grain about 1/4 inch thick and fan on a plate with the pickled mustard greens and sliced chili.

Kitchen note

Red fermented bean curd gives char siu its signature color and a savory, almost cheesy depth; the honey goes on only in the last stretch because its sugars would burn black over a full hour.