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Char Siu Recipe - Chinese BBQ Pork
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5 from 3 votes

Char Siu Recipe (Chinese BBQ Pork)

This Chinese BBQ pork recipe is called "char siu", with chunks of pork shoulder marinated in a spicy Chinese BBQ sauce, then roasted until tender. Easy to make and delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: bbq, Chinese 5 spice, pork shoulder
Servings: 6
Calories: 307kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2-3 drops red food coloring optional

Instructions

MARINATE THE PORK

  • Slice the pork into strips about 3-4 inches thick and set them into a large bowl.
  • Make the Marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, honey, rice wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese 5 spice powder, salt and pepper, and red food coloring (if using). Mix well.
  • Pour the marinade over the sliced pork. Rub the pork and be sure to cover it all. Cover with plastic, or use a zip-top baggie to marinate. Marinate for at least 10 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator. Longer is better for more flavor.

ROAST THE PORK

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour 1 inch of water into a roasting pan and set the roasting rack into the pan. Reserve the marinade.
  • Set the marinated bbq pork slices onto the roasting rack. Use aluminum foil to line the rack if needed. Roast for 90 minutes. Flip the pork and brush on some of the reserved marinade every 20-30 minutes. Cook until the internal temperature of the pork measures 145 degrees F. The pork should be slightly caramelized from the bbq marinade. I like to do one final baste 2 minutes before removing from the oven.
  • Remove the pork from the oven. Rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Notes

The pork should be tender when ready to serve, but not pull apart like pulled pork.
Extra Saucy. If you'd like to make your char siu extra sauce and moist, keep the reserved bbq marinade at the end of the cook. Add it to a sauce pan or pot with a few tablespoons of honey, then mix and heat through for 2-3 minutes. Use it as a final glaze or char siu sauce for your Chinese bbq pork. Delicious!

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 684mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg