The Char Siu Pork My Dad's Made 100,000 Times
Why this recipe
Most char siu pork recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 50 years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 5.3M views, 109.2K likes on YouTube.
By my estimates, my dad has made char siu — Chinese BBQ pork — at least 10,000 times over his 50 years as a professional Chinese chef, so it’s a recipe I’ve been really excited to document to share it with you, and to pass it on to our kids one day. Today, Daddy Lau will finally teach us how to make Chinese BBQ Pork!
If you’re new to char siu, it’s an extremely juicy, sweet, and savory pork dish that’s a popular entree on its own — and a pleasant addition to many different types of noodles, rice dishes, and pastries like char siu bao.
For our gigantic Lunar New Year feast this year, my dad made char siu because it has a few tie-ins to Chinese traditions and superstitions, which you’ll learn about later on. My dad’s recipe results in juicy, flavorful char siu without having to make a mess in your kitchen! It's also very adaptable to smaller cuts of pork if you want to make a smaller amount. In our video, you'll see my dad make his char siu pork recipe on a tabletop toaster oven.
What you'll be learning:
- My dad’s spin on this traditional recipe!
- The best cuts of pork to use for this recipe, and how to craft the perfect, juicy bite
- Context on the key ingredients, and the equipment you'll need to make this dish (and alternative swaps)
- Why this dish is often on the dinner table for Lunar New Year
Thank you, Kikkoman!
This recipe is brought to you in part by Kikkoman. My dad has been using Kikkoman flavors throughout his 50-year career as a chef, and it's a privilege to get to partner with them on such an iconic recipe, Beef Chow Fun with Gravy!
- Kikkoman products are a major flavor enhancer and bring out the “umami” taste, and help balance and round out flavors
- Kikkoman® Less Sodium Soy Sauce is perfect for home cooks who are looking to cut down on their sodium levels, without sacrificing flavor
- Kikkoman offers a wide range of Gluten-Free Asian sauces, including Gluten-Free Oyster Sauce and Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce
- The KikkomanUSA.com Chinese site offers easy Asian recipes that home cooks can enjoy any night of the week
You can learn more about Kikkoman and follow them on social media here:
- Website: https://www.KikkomanUSA.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KikkomanChineseUSA (Kikkoman 萬字在美)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kikkomanusa_chinese/ (Kikkoman 萬字在美)
What is char siu?
A sweet and savory roasted pork, char siu is probably the most popular roasted meat preparation in Cantonese cuisine. If you walk by a Chinese BBQ restaurant, every single one will always have char siu hanging on its hooks by the window.
Origins of char siu
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.
Although it’s considered a Chinese dish, many other Asian cuisines have integrated char siu into their own dishes — Thailand makes its own version of Chinese BBQ pork called kao moo dang and Japanese chashu gets its name from the dish, too.
In ancient times, char siu used to be made with boar or other available meats, but nowadays it’s almost always made with a fatty cut of pork.
Char siu: The most flavorful BBQ pork
When made right, char siu is one of the most tender, juiciest pieces of savory, sweet pork you might ever have.
It's got umami from ingredients like fermented bean curd, hoisin, and oyster sauce, a bit of zest from wines, and sweetness from brown sugar and honey. Five spice powder, a popular Chinese ingredient, ties it all together with a distinctive blend of spices.
It's absolutely delicious.
An expert chef’s tip for the best ever char siu
To make restaurant-quality char siu at home, my dad uses this trick: Roast the pork on a baking rack above a pan of water, which creates steam to help keep the meat moist as it cooks.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare pork
Cut the pork shoulder (2 lb) into long slices, roughly about 1 inch thick. We'll aim to cut each slice with uniform thickness so they cook at the same rate.
Afterwards, we'll repeatedly poke each side of each slice with a fork to help the pork absorb our marinade more effectively.
Prepare marinade
To a bowl, we'll add:
- garlic salt (1 tbsp)
- brown sugar (4 tbsp)
- oyster sauce (2 tbsp)
- light soy sauce (2 tbsp)
- hoisin sauce (1 tbsp)
- red wine (2 tbsp)
- Shaoxing wine (1 tbsp)
- red fermented bean curd (1 cube)
- five spice powder (1 tsp)
This amount can be adjusted based on the amount of pork you'll be making.
Mix the marinade until it's evenly distributed and smooth.
If you'd like a more rich, red color, you can add a few drops of red food coloring (0.25 tsp).
Marinate pork
Place the meat into a zip-top bag, pour the sauce in, and massage the pork for about 2 minutes so that the sauce is able to finesse its way into the meat. Afterwards, we’ll push all the air out of the bag and seal it.
Place the bag in the refrigerator, and let the pork marinate overnight, or at least for around 6 to 8 hours.
Chef’s Tip: My dad says to not let it marinate for over 24 hours, or else it will affect the tenderness of the meat. If you refrigerate the pork, let it sit for about 1 hour to bring it to room temperature before starting to cook it.
Prepare char siu for oven
Preheat the oven to 425° F or 218° C.
Set up the baking pan by lining the bottom with aluminum foil (so it's easier to clean!), and place the baking rack on top of the foil.
Using tongs, start laying out the pork on the baking rack and pan.
Add 1 to 2 tbsp of water to the bottom of the pan to help generate some steam as the char siu cooks, and to help prevent the drippings from burning and smoking.
Carefully place it in the oven.
Roast and baste char siu
Now, we’ll be removing the char siu periodically to baste it again with either our leftover pork marinade, or honey (2 tbsp) diluted with water (2 tsp).
Here’s how my dad split up the cooking time:
- Cook for 15 minutes and baste both sides with the pork marinade
- Cook for another 15 minutes and baste both sides with pork marinade again
- Cook for 10 minutes and baste both sides with the diluted honey
- And finally, we’ll turn the heat up to 450° F, cook for another 5 minutes, baste both sides with honey, and let it cool for a few minutes before cutting into it.
In total, this is about 50 minutes in the oven.
Final touches, let cool, cut and enjoy!
Once the char siu has finished its last cycle in the oven, we'll baste each side with our diluted honey.
Let the char siu cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.
And finally... enjoy!