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Char Siu recipe- How to make it as good as Chinese restaurant

Char Siu brings back many fond memories and pivotal moments in my life.

My mom is a typical homemaker who prepared nearly every meal for me. When I was young, I had breakfast before going to school, brought along the lunch box with rice, stir-fried vegetables and pork chops. At home, we will have dinner at home with lentil soup, egg custards, and minced meat, This is the typical three meals I had for my six years studying in the primary school in Ipoh, a small town located in the northern Peninsular Malaysia.

char siu

Char Siu was not on the menu since my mother did not know how to make it. The day I had my first bite of Char Siu eventually arrived when my teacher took us for lunch after we won an inter-school table tennis competition. It did not sound like a huge reward, but it finally unfolded the mysterious flavor Char Siu that has been bothering me for a very long time.

The meat was succulent and tender; the gravy was a combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and some other ingredients I did not know when I was young. What I can remember was the taste was heavenly, and eating the plain rice with a massive amount of sauce as the topping.

char siu recipe- on chopping board

My college years and beyond

Fast forward to my colleague years away from home in Penang. I began to appreciate different types of food as we lived in a multiracial campus with friends from all races. My diverted palate stretching from the healthy Japanese cuisine to the fiery and spicy Indian curry, and occasionally sampled the traditional Nyonya kuih and pungent tofu from Taiwan.

Despite the varieties of food, Char Siu remains the most regular food on my food list, simply because there is a nostalgic emotion involved, that it is the first Chinese street food that I ever tasted.

What makes Char Siu such an incredible delicacy?

Char Siu is the Chinese barbecue pork famous among the region of Guangdong and Hong Kong. This unadorned dish can is available in every corner of the street, and each restaurant boasted to have the best secret recipe for the barbecue pork.

A good Char Siu should have a glossy surface with the trademark dark mahogany color. The meat is tender and moist inside with the slightly charred and caramelized on the outside. When you take a bite to a piece of Char Siu, you will first taste the sweetness of the maltose, followed by the aroma of the slightly charred flavor, and finally, succumb to the juicy and succulent meat marinated for hours.

It is hard to explain why I like Char Siu so much. The ingredients for the seasoning are simple- soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger and the like. I assume it results from the right amount of ingredients coupled with marinating and the grilling. The greatest secret, however, is the flashback of the childhood memory tightly interweaved into multiple layers of flavor, like the food critic Anton Ego overwhelmed with emotion enjoying Ratatouille in the movie.

How to make the mouth-watering Char Siu at home

The authentic Char Siu recipe requires to hook up the pork and cooked over charcoals. However, this might not be feasible for most home cooks. We need a method suitable for most households with a result tastes just light the store bought Char Siu.

Is that possible?

Various methods are suggested

I found two methods to make Char Siu at home that is as yummy as in any Chinese restaurants.

The first method is to marinate the pork for a day air two, then stewing the pork in a wok along with the marinade under it is tender. Then remove the excess marinade as the sauce when served. The pork without the marinate Japan-fried until it is dry, fragrant and slightly charred.

The second method is to grill it in an oven over high heat, and basting the meat with honey or maltose repeatedly. This approach is closer to the traditional way, and I find that the result is better than the first one.

Naturally, this recipe is written base on the second method.

12 Tips to make the best Char Siu at home

Preparation

  1. The purpose of red yeast rice is to provide the signature mahogany color of Char Siu. You can omit it, but the color of the Char Siu will not be so intense. However, it will not affect much of the final result.
  2. You can use different cuts of pork to make Char Siu, and you will find Char Siu pork belly, Char Siu pork tenderloin, and even Char Siu Chicken should you want something different. However, the most common part of the pork is the pork shoulder. You can use pork belly if you like the fatty taste as in this recipe, or the juicy tenderloin with marbled texture.
  3. The Char Siu sauce in this recipe is a very basic one. I prefer a simple sauce that will not overshadow the flavor of the barbecue pork. There is a  famous sauce called Lee Kum Kee Char Siu sauce that is available internationally. You can use it to simplify your cooking.
  4. Rosoliorosoglio 玫瑰露酒 is the most common type of wine for barbecue in China. You can substitute it with rice wine, sherry or Shaoxing wine. ( I use Shaoxing wine in this recipe.
  5. Marinate the Char Siu for at least one to two days before barbecued for the best result.
  6. The meat will become dry if you roast it at low temperature for an extended cooking time. The dryness is especially significant if you used lean pork. That is why pork with some fat like pork belly and sirloin is the best for Char Siu.
  7. Maltose is very viscous, and it looks like thick honey. It helps to let the marinade stick to the pork and caramelized quickly to impart the color. However, I prefer to use honey as it is more flavorful and easier to handle.

During roasting

  1. The time to cook the meat should not be too long. Therefore, you should set the temperature at 200°C-220°C. Brush the pork with the basting sauce encourage the sugar on the surface caramelized quickly.
  2. Check the internal temperature of the pork. It should reach 70°C / 160°F to ensure the pork is fully cooked.
  3. The length of roasting as stated in the recipe is only for general reference.  The actual duration varies according to the position of the heating element, the distance of the pork from the heating element and the size of the oven.
  4. When the pork is nearly cooked, baste the pork again with the basting sauce.  Move it near to the top heating element to broil it.  This method is the key to making it to for the thick and shining glaze.
  5. Rest the Char Siu for at least ten minutes before slicing, just like cuffing the turkey.
Chinese barbecue pork
Char Siu recipe

Char Siu recipe

Yield: 600 g
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

The Char Siu recipe that you can make it at home which is as good as the Chinese restaurant.

Ingredients

Ingredients A- Sauce

Ingredients B- others

  • 600 g pork belly

Instructions

  1. Cut the pork across the grain into 5cm long strips.
  2. Soak the red yeast rice for half an hour or until soft with the wine and light soy sauce.
  3. Break the rice grains with the back of a spoon to release the color. Filter.
  4. Add the filtered mixture to oyster sauce, honey and five spice powder.
  5. Keep the pork, the sauce, ginger, and garlic in a zip bag or a bowl. Marinate for one day in the refrigerator.
  6. Put the pork on the metal rack. Place an aluminum foil on the drip pan.
  7. Brush the pork with the basting sauce, Roast at 220°C / 428°F for ten minutes. Remove the pork and apply the basting sauce again. Overturned the pork and grill for another ten minutes.
  8. Move the pork closer to the top heating element for another ten minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven.
  10. Set aside until it is no longer hot, Slice and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 380Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 986mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 25g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutitionix on 5/31/2019.

Haze

Thursday 23rd of December 2021

Hello KP

I started with your recipe making my own char siu after a few times I started to tweak the recipe. Looked after different recipes and my taste form the restaurants. For me essential ingredients are now:

Light soja sauce Oyster sauce Fermented bean curd 5 spice powder Red yeast Maltose Brown cane sugar Rice wine Garlic Ginger

and for glazing

Maltose Honey Brine

Roasting in oven at 200c for 35min. Start glazing when the meat gets dry outside glaze minimum 2 times and roast for 10 minutes after the last glazing.

This combination makes me a real georgrous tase compared to best restaurants where I have tried it!

KP Kwan

Thursday 23rd of December 2021

Thank you for sharing your experience, and I will take notes of your improvement from my basic recipe.

George

Sunday 22nd of August 2021

KP Kwan Sir I am an 81 year old Australian who has loved chinese food all my life I chose chinese because of the flavour . I now live in The Philippines but not many Genuine chinese chefs here . love your advise as my asawa wife is trying to learn by watching youtube and your recipes it makes me happy

Corey

Tuesday 1st of September 2020

Hi, Thank you so much for this recipe! It's so simple but tastes really good. It's become one of my partner's favorite ways for us to eat pork!

KP Kwan

Tuesday 1st of September 2020

Happy to know that it becomes one of your favorites.

Delia

Sunday 16th of August 2020

I just whipped this up to your exact measurements, but with chicken breast. Of course it turned out a little on the dry side (I already expected this) but gosh ! 34 hour marination did so much to penetrate the flavours. So delicious. Thank you for sharing !

Herman Gersten

Wednesday 5th of February 2020

Kwan, your char siu recipe is not as good as a restaurant version, it's better! And I know what's in it. May I suggest to other readers that they keep an eye on the pork to keep from over-roasting it. I would cut the raw meat a bit thicker for that reason. A good instant read thermometer helps a lot. When my char siu is gone, I will try some recipes from your book, which is a great gift for your bloggers.

George

Sunday 22nd of August 2021

@Herman Gersten, you are right better by far

KP Kwan

Friday 7th of February 2020

Thank you for your update. Will take your advice :)

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