The Easiest Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) · i am a food blog

My ultimate comfort food is a bowl of fluffy rice, drizzled with sweet soy sauce with bright, shiny slices of Chinese barbecue pork, aka char siu.

This was one of our favorite dinners growing up, like almost every Chinese family, because it’s so easy. Of course, back then we would just go to our favorite Chinese barbecue joint and buy a pound of char siu with roast duck.

Sometimes though, okay, actually quite often we live in a place without a great Chinese barbecue master, and then we have to take matters into our own hands. Luckily, unless you’re trying to prepare a crispy whole roast pork or a pair of ducks, a home oven is all you need to prepare excellent Chinese barbecue.

This is a quick and easy char siu recipe, aka Chinese barbecue pork. It is essentially the same as this one hereminus the fermented red tofu because we don’t actually have any in the fridge. It lacks that hint of distinctive depth of flavor, but it’s still really tasty! I mean, gooey sweet and savory roast pork?! Especially with rice? This is comfort food to the max!

char siu with rice | www.iamafoodblog.com

What is Chinese barbecue pork?

Char siu literally translates to fork roast and that’s exactly what char siu is, normally: fork roast pork. Pork – usually pork butt/shoulder – is marinated in a sweet and savory barbecue sauce, then roasted. It’s sweet and savory and has just a nice complexity from the five spices. It’s juicy and sticky and almost perfect on a bowl of soft white rice.

char siu on rice | www.iamafoodblog.com

How to make char siu at home

Cut your pork. You want to cut the pork into long strips at least 3 inches wide.
Marinate. Mix honey, hoisin, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger, five spice and white pepper, rub it all over the pork and let it marinate overnight (or at least for one hour) in the refrigerator.
Roast. Let the pork get juicy and cooked through on a rack in a low oven.
Make a glaze. Make a quick glaze by bringing the excess marinade and a little honey to the boil.
Brush. Generously coat the pork with glaze and give it a blast to char. Slice and enjoy!

char siu | www.iamafoodblog.com

What cut of pork is best for char siu?

You can use just about any cut of pork for char siu, from pork loin to pork butt. In fact, when you go to a real Chinese barbecue joint, they often ask you “fei ding sau” (胖或瘦), which translates to fat or skinny. Truth be told, they usually only use pork butt in Chinese barbecues, but even then there will be leaner and fattier parts on a pork butt. If you want:

a more succulent and richer char siu – use pork butt
tender char siu, lower in calories and leaner – use pork tenderloin
a leaner and cheaper siu tank – use pork loin
the best char siu you have ever eaten – use pork collar, aka pork neck. This is not a common cut, but is essentially the shoulder that extends from the neck to the end of the loin.

Chinese barbecue pork slice | www.iamafoodblog.com slice of Chinese barbecue pork | www.iamafoodblog.com

What ingredients do I need?

You need a few Chinese sauces, namely hoisin and soy sauce. They sell hoisin online and in most grocery stores in the Asian section, so you’re pretty much good to go. Other than that, you need honey, garlic, ginger, five spice (you can skip this if you don’t want to buy it), and a pork butt/shoulder.

Char siu ingredients

Hoisin Sauce – They now sell hoisin everywhere from Target to your basic grocery store. It is a thick, sweet brown sauce that is used in marinades and as a dipping sauce. Hoisin is super tasty: sweet and salty, tangy and full of umami. It is a must-have for Chinese barbecue dishes.
Shaoxing wine – This is the secret ingredient all your Chinese cooking needs to taste like restaurant-style Chinese food. Shaoxing wine is rice wine and although it is optional for this recipe, it will be 10,000 times better if you get it. They sell it online and in Asian grocery stores.
Five spices – So many char siu recipes are just glazed pork. But if you want a flavorful char siu, don’t forget the five spices. It’s an added flavor.
White pepper – If you don’t have white pepper, don’t worry, but if you do, use it here. It’s more fragrant, delicate and floral. It adds pepper without being overwhelming.

Chinese barbecue pork slices | www.iamafoodblog.com

How do you pronounce char siu?

It’s cha as in rhymes with “rah rah rah” and siu as in rhymes with “little”.

Why should I do char siu?

Char siu is a SUPER delicious low effort, high reward juicy pork roast that you will love. It has a sweet, sticky glaze that is so good you’ll want to eat it on everything. Plus, if you miss Chinese takeout, this dish is for you.