My ultimate comfort food is a bowl of fluffy rice, doused in sweet soy sauce with glistening glossy slices of Chinese bbq pork aka char siu.
It was one of our go-to dinners growing up, same as almost all Chinese families out there because itâs just so darn easy. Of course back then we would just head to our favorite Chinese bbq place and buy a pound of char siu along with some roast duck.
2020 has kind of changed the casual going out and all that. Weâve been sticking close to home. We only ordered delivery a grand total of just two times, which Iâm pretty surprised about because normally I LOVE delivery. Iâm not quite sure why it hasnât really been on our radar considering everyoneâs been ordering in like crazy.
Actually, I guess it kind of goes both ways: thereâs the homesteader camp (hello sourdough bakers) and the I donât wanna cook camp (the ones who know the pain of having their orders cancelled after 30 minutes of waiting). Right now weâre somewhere in the middle I guess. To be honest, we like making restaurant style food at home so weâre not missing too much. Then again, ask me how I feel in another couple of weeks.
This is a quick and easy char siu aka Chinese BBQ pork recipe. Itâs essentially the same as this one here, minus the red fermented tofu because we donât actually have any in the fridge. It lacks that hint of distinctive depth of flavor but itâs still really darn tasty! I mean, sticky sweet and savory roasted pork?! Especially with rice? Itâs comfort food to the max!
What is char siu/Chinese BBQ pork?
Char siu literally translates to fork roasted and thatâs exactly what char siu is, normally: fork roasted pork. Pork â usually pork butt/shoulder – is marinated in a sweet and savory BBQ sauce and then roasted. Itâs sweet and salty and has just some nice complexity thanks to five spice. Itâs juicy and sticky and just about perfect on a bowl of fluffy white rice.
How to make char siu at home
- Cut your pork. You want to cut the pork into long strips at least 3 inches wide.
- Marinate. Mix up honey, hoisin, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger, five spice, and white pepper and rub it all over the pork and let it marinate overnight (or at least for an hour) in the fridge.
- Roast. Let the pork get all juicy and cooked through on a wire rack in a low oven.
- Make a glaze. Make a quick glaze by bringing the excess marinade and a bit of honey to a boil.
- Brush. Generously coat the pork with the glaze and give it a blast of heat to char it. Slice and enjoy!
Which cut of pork is best for char siu?
You can use pretty much any piece of pork for char siu, from pork loin to pork butt. In fact, when you go to a real Chinese BBQ place, they often ask you, âfei ding sauâ (čćçŚ) which translates to fat or skinny. Truthfully they usually only use pork butt at Chinese BBQ places, but even then, there will be leaner and fattier parts on a pork butt.
- If you want a more luscious, rich char siu, use pork butt
- If you want a tender, leaner char siu, use pork tenderloin
- If you want lean char siu, use pork loin
- If you want the best chair siu youâve ever eaten, use pork collar aka pork neck. Itâs not a common cut, but essentially itâs the shoulder that runs from the neck to the tip of the loin.
What ingredients do I need?
You do need a couple of Chinese sauces, namely hoisin and soy sauce. They sell hoisin online and at most grocery stores in the Asian aisle, so youâre pretty much good to go. Other than that you need honey, garlic, ginger, five spice (you can skip this if you donât want to buy it), and a pork butt/shoulder.
Char siu ingredients
- Hoisin sauce – They pretty much sell hoisin everywhere now, from Target to your basic grocery store. Itâs a thick, sweet brown sauce thatâs used in marinades and as a dipping sauce. Itâs super flavorful: sweet and savory, tangy, and full of umami. Itâs essential for Chinese bbq dishes.
- Shaoxing wine – This is the secret ingredient that all your Chinese food needs to taste like restaurant style Chinese food. Shaoxing wine is rice wine and while itâs optional for this recipe, itâll be 10 thousand times better if you get it. They sell it online and in Asian grocery stores.
- Five spice – So many char siu recipes out there are just glazed pork. But if you want a savory char siu, donât forget the five spice. Itâs added flavor.
- White pepper – If you donât have white pepper, donât sweat it, but if you do, use it here. Itâs more fragrant, delicate, and floral. It adds pepperiness without overwhelming.
How do you pronounce char siu?
Itâs cha as rhymes with “rah rah rah” and siu as in rhymes with âfew.â
Why should I make char siu?
Char siu is a low effort high reward SUPER delicious juicy roasted pork that you will love. It has a sticky sweet glaze that is so good that youâll want to eat it on everything. Plus, if youâre missing Chinese take out, this is the dish for you.
What can I serve it with?
You can have it with fluffy white rice, in buns, with noodles, in fried rice, basically anything.
Easy Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp hoisin
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp Shaoxing wine optional
- 2 cloves garlic lightly smashed
- 1 inch ginger sliced
- 1/2 tsp five spice optional
- 1/4 tsp white pepper optional
- 2 tbsp honey for glaze
- 1 lb pork butt/shoulder cut into strips
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients throughly. Coat the pork with the sauce and marinate for minimum 1 hour and up to 24.
- When ready to cook, heat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off excess. Lay the pork on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, flipping halfway through.
- While the pork is cooking, heat up the remaining marinade (remove the ginger and garlic) with the last 2 tablespoons of honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until it reduces and thickens slightly. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Brush the pork with the glaze and turn the heat up to 400°F, brushing with glaze and flipping, until slightly charred. Let rest slightly, slice and enjoy!
Estimated Nutrition
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-Steph & Mike
This looks great, can’t wait to try! Just to clarify, the ingredients list suggests the pork should be pre-cut into strips, but in the photos it looks like the shoulder goes into the over whole and is cut after?
hi amy,
i just made one giant piece but normally I cut it into 3 inch x 2 inch strips :)
Could it work with pork tenderloin? I know it’s got much less fat and is much smaller, so maybe just reduce the cooking time? Thanks.
hi evan,
you can use pork tenderloin but youâd definitely have to decrease the cooking time and keep an eye on it as pork tenderloin has a tendency to dry out. start checking at the 30 minute mark!
yes I am missing it, and not because of shut down but just because the traditional Chinese restaurants in my area are now something else, so this will definitely help and am surprised that the ingredient list isn’t that long, thank you!
Wow this is just awesome. Definitely the BBQ fix Iâm looking for. Nicely done! :)
THIS LOOKS AMAZING!! Great quarantine project
Hi there! What cut is shown in these pictures? I’ve never sliced pork butt/shoulder as you’ve suggested as I find it’s a better cut to braise and then shred…any thoughts here?
hi megan,
itâs boneless pork butt/shoulder!
Could you use pork belly or is that too fatty?
hi kiev,
you can definitely, we do sometimes :) itâll just be a more luscious char siu!
The marinade is on and it’s smelling fantastic already, I’m using pre sliced belly pork, I’m not the best of cooks, do you think I will need to reduce the cooking time, trying to impress the misses, thanks in advance ?
hi kev,
it depends on what kind of slices weâre talking about – how thick are they?
I don’t have an oven. Can I use airfryer to grill it.
hi annie,
yes! we have an air fryer version here: Air Fryer Char Siu Recipe
So apply the glaze after 1 hour in the oven? And how long should it stay in the oven with the glaze on? Excited to try this! Thanks!
hi hannah,
the glaze doesnât take too long to char, keep an eye on it, maybe 1-5 minutes :)