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Char siu
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4.59 from 168 votes

Char Siu (The Best Recipe)

The best Char Siu recipe with perfect Cantonese BBQ char siu pork and sweet char siu sauce . An authentic recipe that tastes just like Chinatown restaurants!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Pork
Cuisine: Chinese Recipes
Keyword: char siu
Servings: 3 people
Author: Bee Yinn Low

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. skinless pork belly cut into 2 long strips
  • 2 tablespoons garlic finely chopped

Char Siu Sauce:

  • 2 pieces Chinese fermented red bean curd
  • 1 tablespoon maltose or honey
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark and thick soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 3 1/2 oz sugar 100 g or 8 1/2 tablespoons

Instructions

  • Get a big bowl, mix all the Char Siu Sauce ingredients, add the garlic and pork belly and marinate overnight in the fridge.
  • The next day, heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Place the pork belly on a wire rack or in a pan lined with aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes.
  • Removed from oven and turn the pork belly over, brush the remaining Char Siu Sauce on the pork. Continue to roast for another 15 minutes.
  • Set the oven to Broil and broil each side of the pork belly for about 1 min, until each side become nicely charred. The char siu will look dark in color, it's normal.
  • Slice the char siu into thin and bite-size pieces, serve immediately with steamed white rice and the remaining Char Siu Sauce. You may heat up the remaining Char Siu Sauce and bring to a simmer and set aside.

Video

Notes

  • Use pork belly. Try to choose fatty pork belly with equal layer of meat and fat. The ratio of fat and meat should be 50:50.
  • If you can’t find pork belly, you may choose fatty pork shoulder or pork butt.
  • Remove the skin before marinating the pork.
  • Marinate overnight for the deeper flavors.
  • Roast and BBQ the pork in an oven. Then grill over direct fire (using an outdoor BBQ grill or over the stove top). You can also use broil it using your oven. The key is to char all sides of the pork belly with a nice char.

Nutrition

Serving: 3people | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 80g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 661mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g