Char siu (叉烧), or Chinese barbecue pork, is a type of Cantonese roast meat. Char siu is its Cantonese name, while in Mandarin it is known as cha shao. The literal translation is "fork roast" referring to the traditional method of cooking this dish: seasoning pork strips and roasting them over a fire or in a covered oven. Some consider this recipe "Chinese restaurant-style pork."
My husband is a passionate carnivore and enjoys cooking pork, so this char siu recipe is more his than mine (note that while char siu is traditionally grilled, this is a recipe for the oven). He loves the marinade and the juicy, tender pork. According to him, while you could use different cuts of pork to make char siu, it’s ideal to use boneless pork shoulder.
This pork recipe isn’t difficult to make but it does require time and patience; a slower, longer cook time makes the meat juicy, which results in fantastic caramelization. Perfect! Thebarbecue porkis marinated and brushed with a Chinese barbecue sauce, then roasted until a deep, restaurant-quality flavor is reached. My husband recommends serving char siu with rice or noodles.
Note: Traditional char siu gets its authentic red color from an ingredient called fermented red bean curds, which can be hard to find. If the color is important to you, you can use red food coloring. I personally don’t ever add any; it doesn’t impact the flavor, so I’m not worried about it. You could serve it for dinner with this homemade char siu sauce.
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Cuisine: Chinese
Prep Time: 10 minutes plus 1 to 2 days to marinate
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours plus marinating time
Serves 6
Ingredients
Pork
- 1 pork shoulder (2 to 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons honey
Marinade
Helpful Products
Recipe Notes
- If you have leftovers, use the pork shoulder in pork fried rice or add it to stir fry.
Here's how to make it:
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a plastic zipper food storage bag or shallow bowl. Add the pork and marinate 24 to 48 hours, or 3 hours minimum.
- Remove the pork from the marinade and put onto a foil-lined baking sheet. (Save the marinade!) Roast in a preheated 325-degree F oven for about 30 minutes.
- While the pork cooks, pour the reserved marinade into a saucepan. Add the 2 tablespoons of honey. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until it reaches a syrup consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove the pork from the oven and brush it on both sideswith the marinade. Cook another 30 minutes. Remove the pork again and brush it all over with the marinade. Continue to cook about 20 minutes. (If the pork is getting to dark, cover it with foil.) Brush the pork one more time and cook for about 10 more minutes or until caramelized and sticky. (Meat should be fork-tender.) Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with any remaining marinade.
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FAQs
Sticky, crimson red Char Siu Pork – just like you get from the Chinese Barbecue meat shops! Also called Chinese BBQ Pork, it's finger licking good and you're going to be shocked how easy it is to make the Char Siu sauce that's used to marinade the pork.
What does Siu mean in Chinese food? ›
Cantonese cuisine
Char siu literally means "fork roasted" (siu being burn/roast and cha being fork, both noun and verb) after the traditional cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.
How do Chinese restaurants get the pork red? ›
The red hue on the pork comes from the sticky, crave-able barbecue sauce in which it's marinaded before roasting. Often, this deep crimson hue comes from a combination of Hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and fermented red bean curd (aka fermented tofu, bean cheese, or tofu cheese).
What should I serve with char siu pork? ›
This Char Siu Pork recipe from 2014 Masterchef winner Ping Coombes is a Chinatown favourite. Traditionally, this dish would be served up sliced over rice with a side of steamed greens, but you can also serve with noodles or in steamed buns.
What is the main ingredient of char siu? ›
Char siu is Chinese restaurant-style pork with a deep red, sweet and sticky coating. Char siu literally means "fork roast" and refers to the traditional method of cooking this dish by which strips of seasoned pork were skewered with long forks and roasted in a covered oven or over a fire.
Is char siu pork served hot or cold? ›
Char Siu pork is a versatile base product. It's used in other dishes, e.g. finely diced in fried rice, as filling in Char Siu Bao 叉燒包 (white steamed rolls), stir-fries, and also served plain, warm or cold, cut into thin slices alongside some vegetables on rice.
What does char siu mean in english? ›
Char siu originally comes from Cantonese cuisine, and the word chā sīu 叉烧 literally means “fork roasted,” which is a nod to the traditional cooking method of skewering seasoned pork with long forks, and placing them in an oven or over a fire.
What is the difference between pork and char siu? ›
Pork is literally just “the meat of a pig” in the most general sense. Char siu is the anglicized rendering of the name of a Cantonese style of roasted pork (usually belly, back, loin, or neck), flavored with Chinese 5 spice and glazed with honey and red rice yeast that produces a rich, red color.
What is char siu in english? ›
Cha siu (叉燒/叉烧), usually called Chinese BBQ Pork in English, is a classic southern Chinese dish that's often attributed to Cantonese cuisine. The phrase “cha siu” (cha1 shao1 in Mandarin, sometimes spelled “char siu”) literally translates to “fork roasted,” a reference to the traditional cooking method.
Where does China get its pork? ›
The main source of imported pork to China is the European Union, led by Germany and Spain. In total, China brings in about two-thirds of its pork imports from the E.U. At most, the entire U.S. pork industry has accounted for as much as 1 percent of China's pork consumption in any year.
If it's ground pork, it might be as the result of using/adding minced ginger and the resulting interaction with pork tends to make it a slightly pink hue. If it's traditional char siu(BBQ Chinese roasted pork), it's the combination of seasonings and spices (hoisin sauce, honey, five spice powder and red food dye).
Why is there so much pork in Chinese food? ›
For the Chinese, pork is our default meat. It is not just the most commonly consumed but even the Chinese word for meat automatically implies pork. Historically, Asia has never been a huge beef-consuming continent. Cows and buffalo were too valuable and productive for farming to be slaughtered for food.
Can char siu be eaten cold? ›
It is often also called by the Cantonese char siu or char siew. Sometimes (usually in America) it is called Chinese BBQ pork. It is very popular, and can be eaten by itself (usually cold), or used as an ingredient for other dishes such as cha shao bao (pork buns), or in noodles or rice.
Why is char siu pork red? ›
The red hue on the pork comes from the sticky, crave-able barbecue sauce in which it's marinaded before roasting. Often, this deep crimson hue comes from a combination of Hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and fermented red bean curd (aka fermented tofu, bean cheese, or tofu cheese).
Is char siu the same as BBQ sauce? ›
Char siu doesn't refer to a sauce particularly, but the final product after this "Chinese barbecue sauce" is applied to pork that is hung onto fork skewers and roasted.
What cut of pork is BBQ pork? ›
Pork butt is an ideal choice for barbecue pulled pork, but it also lends itself to braising and stewing, which tenderizes the meat and melts the fat. Use pork butt in any recipe where you're looking for fall-apart-tender meat and a rich, porky flavor, such as pulled pork, carnitas or stew.
