{"id":109739,"title":"Authentic Char Siu – Chinese Lacquered Pork","modified":"2025-10-29T16:04:15+01:00","plain":"Char Siu, also known as Chinese barbecued pork, is a delicious Cantonese specialty of roasted meat. With this recipe, you can make authentic homemade Char Siu that's just as good as what you'd find in the best restaurants!\n\n\n\nWhat is Char Siu Pork?\n\n\n\nChar siu (\u53c9\u70e7) is a type of Cantonese roasted meat and is a classic in Chinese cuisine.\n\n\n\nChar siu is its Cantonese name, but in Mandarin it's called cha shao. To make char siu, pork is marinated in a sweet barbecue sauce and then roasted. On Reunion Island, it's also known as sarcives.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFor many years, Char Siu enjoyed a golden age, delighting food lovers with its rich, flavorful dishes. However, in recent years, it has become harder and harder to find quality barbecued pork, whether in shops or restaurants.\n\n\n\nThese days, it seems like many places are cutting back on seasonings, which leads to dry, cold pork and other disappointments\u2014much to the frustration of fans of this delicious dish.\n\n\n\nChar siu can be used in the Singapore noodles recipe\n\n\n\nIt's important not to blame restaurant owners alone for this situation, as the current economic climate plays a big role in the push for profitability that's often forced by circumstances.\n\n\n\nRising ingredient costs and competitive pressure are pushing businesses to find ways to cut expenses without completely sacrificing quality.\n\n\n\nStill, our taste buds, longing for the authentic flavors of barbecued pork, are calling for a return to tradition\u2014a dish that honors the culinary techniques and heritage that made Char Siu famous.\n\n\n\nHow can you not drool?\n\n\n\nA good char siu recipe has real depth of flavor: a delicious sweet and salty contrast with a hint of spice that perfectly complements the pork, so it can be served with nothing more than a bowl of steamed rice and some blanched choy sum.\n\n\n\nAs you can tell, it\u2019s AMAZING.\n\n\n\nHow do you make Char Siu Pork?\n\n\n\nActually, it\u2019s a really simple process. The ingredients aren\u2019t hard to find. Honestly, apart from Shaoxing wine and hoisin sauce (which you can make at home), you should be able to get everything you need at your local supermarket.\n\n\n\nPretty impressive, right? If you want a real challenge, try my Peking duck recipe\n\n\n\nBasically, all you do is mix the spices for the sauce, marinate the meat, and then the next day: roast and enjoy. That\u2019s it. Much easier than my homemade Peking duck, for sure.\n\n\n\nKey Ingredients for Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLight soy sauce: This is the regular soy sauce you\u2019ll find in most supermarkets.\n\n\n\nHoisin sauce: This is the Chinese barbecue sauce you can make yourself by clicking here. You\u2019ll often see it served with Peking duck, and its flavor is just fantastic.\n\n\n\nSesame oil: This oil has a wonderful aroma and a strong flavor\u2014so use it sparingly!\n\n\n\nShaoxing wine: This Chinese cooking wine is essential for many recipes on the site. Click to see how to substitute it, but honestly, it won\u2019t be quite the same.\n\n\n\nChinese five spice: This classic spice blend gives barbecued pork its signature flavor.\n\n\n\nWhite pepper: Adds a welcome touch of heat.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Char Siu - Chinese Glazed Pork\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t1.5 kg boneless pork shoulder (choose a piece with a fat cap)15 ml hot water35 ml honeyMarinade50 g sugar2 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder1 pinch white pepper0.5 teaspoon sesame oil15 ml Shaoxing wine15 ml light soy sauce25 g hoisin sauce2 teaspoons molasses (Can be substituted with honey)5 cloves minced garlic0.15 teaspoon red food coloring (Just the tip of a spoon)\t\n\t\n\t\tCut the pork into long strips or into pieces about 6 to 8 cm thick. Do not remove the fat, as it adds flavor. (Fat is life!)Mix the marinade ingredients together.Set aside about 2 tablespoons of marinade for later. Rub the pork with the remaining marinade in a mixing bowl or baking dish. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.Preheat your oven to 250\u00b0C (475\u00b0F).Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place a metal rack on top. Using the rack keeps the pork off the tray and helps it roast more evenly.Place the pork on the rack, leaving as much space as possible between pieces. Pour a little water into the tray under the rack to prevent drippings from burning or smoking. During testing, the smoke left a very acrid aftertaste (I wondered if it might add a smoky note, but it didn\u2019t).Transfer the pork to the preheated oven (no convection\/fan). Roast for 25 minutes, keeping the oven at 250\u00b0C for the first 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190\u00b0C (375\u00b0F).After 25 minutes, flip the pork. If the bottom of the tray is dry, add more water. Rotate the rack 180 degrees to ensure even roasting.Roast for another 15 minutes. During cooking, check the char siu often (every 10 minutes) and lower the oven temperature if it looks like it\u2019s burning.Meanwhile, mix the reserved marinade with the honey and hot water. This will be your glazing sauce.After 40 minutes of total roasting time, glaze the pork, turn it over, and glaze the other side as well. Roast for another 10 minutes.After 50 minutes, if the pork isn\u2019t caramelized enough, increase the temperature for a few minutes. Watch carefully to prevent the sweet sauce from burning.Remove from the oven and glaze with any remaining reserved char siu sauce.Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing!\t\n\t\n\t\tPrep time does not include the overnight marinating time.\nOven temperatures can vary greatly, so check your char siu every 10 minutes, adjusting the temperature as needed.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalChinoise\t\n\n\n\n\n\nCulinary sources used: The Woks of Life. After testing, the spice quantities were adjusted, but the method remains the same.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109739"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110143,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109739\/revisions\/110143"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}