RECIPE

Char Siu

Cantonese BBQ Pork
October 26, 2020
[ SKIP TO RECIPE ]
Siu Mei 燒味, or Siu Laap 燒臘, is a staple food in Cantonese culture.

It literally means roast (Siu 燒) flavour (Mei 味), referring to the different types of meat and seafood roasted in an open fire, traditionally, or in a rotisserie oven, modern adaptation. The most common, and perhaps the most important culturally speaking, dish is the roasted pig. It is the first dish served at weddings and Dai Sao (80th birthday celebrations). It is also served at traditional Chinese ceremonies for new beginnings, such as new business openings, start of a filming project, pre-wedding ritual of a new couple, first day of the new year, etc.

There are many types of Siu Mei: chicken, duck, goose, quail, pork, cuttlefish, and so much more! Some Siu Mei shops would also have soy sauce braised meats and tofu! My top selections are roasted duck with plum sauce, the orange dyed cuttlefish (no idea why they dye them orange), and Char Siu – a roasted piece of pork shoulder that is sometimes dyed red! The simplest way of enjoying Char Siu is with fresh, steamed jasmine rice, but my favourite ways of eating it is as a topping in soup noodles, slices in Man Tao (steamed bao) with a dab of hoisin sauce, and in fried rice or rice noodle.

It is important to note that the classic red colour is often credited to the red fermented bean curd, a condiment that is basically fermented tofu in Chinese spirit and spices. The red colour either comes from food colouring or from the natural colour of red rice. It is difficult to tell if a red fermented bean curd is wheat-/gluten-free because the Chinese spirit used by the different producers are usually labeled as cooking wine or rice wine. Chinese rice wine, although made with rice, salt and water, sometimes it can also contain a starter that contains wheat. This is often not specified on the labels. If you have had Chinese rice wine and did not have an allergic reaction to it, proceed to trying the fermented red bean curd with caution. Make sure to check the label as some bean curd product is mixed with wheat starch. If you are highly sensitive to wheat, I strongly recommend that you omit this ingredient. The colour of the Char Siu will be different, but the taste will not be drastically different.

Siu Mei 燒味, or Siu Laap 燒臘, is a staple food in Cantonese culture.

It literally means roast (Siu 燒) flavour (Mei 味), referring to the different types of meat and seafood roasted in an open fire, traditionally, or in a rotisserie oven, modern adaptation. The most common, and perhaps the most important culturally speaking, dish is the roasted pig. It is the first dish served at weddings and Dai Sao (80th birthday celebrations). It is also served at traditional Chinese ceremonies for new beginnings, such as new business openings, start of a filming project, pre-wedding ritual of a new couple, first day of the new year, etc.

There are many types of Siu Mei: chicken, duck, goose, quail, pork, cuttlefish, and so much more! Some Siu Mei shops would also have soy sauce braised meats and tofu! My top selections are roasted duck with plum sauce, the orange dyed cuttlefish (no idea why they dye them orange), and Char Siu 叉燒 – a roasted piece of pork shoulder that is sometimes dyed red! The simplest way of enjoying Char Siu is with fresh, steamed jasmine rice, but my favourite ways of eating it is as a topping in soup noodles, slices in Man Tao (steamed bao) with a dab of hoisin sauce, and in fried rice or rice noodle.

It is important to note that the classic red colour is often credited to the red fermented bean curd, a condiment that is basically fermented tofu in Chinese spirit and spices. The red colour either comes from food colouring or from the natural colour of red rice. It is difficult to tell if a red fermented bean curd is wheat-/gluten-free because the Chinese spirit used by the different producers are usually labeled as cooking wine or rice wine. Chinese rice wine, although made with rice, salt and water, sometimes it can also contain a starter that contains wheat. This is often not specified on the labels. If you have had Chinese rice wine and did not have an allergic reaction to it, proceed to trying the fermented red bean curd with caution. Make sure to check the label as some bean curd product is mixed with wheat starch. If you are highly sensitive to wheat, I strongly recommend that you omit this ingredient. The colour of the Char Siu will be different, but the taste will not be drastically different.

Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork)

Yield: 2 servings
 
INGREDIENTS
  • 500g of pork shoulder steak, about 1.25″ thick

Marinade Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp of tamari (I use San-J Organic Tamari)
  • 1 tbsp of gluten-free hoisin sauce (I use Wan Ja San Organic Hoisin Sauce)
  • 1 tbsp of water
  • 1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp of honey
  • 1 tsp of Shaoxing wine* or gluten-free vodka/soju
  • 1 tsp of Chinese five spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp of sesame oil
  • 1 cube of fermented red bean curd (optional) **

* Shaoxing wine’s main ingredient is sweet rice, however, wheat may be added for the fermentation process. Personally, I have not experienced allergic reaction to the it. To be 100% safe, please use gluten-free recommendations.

**Depending on the manufacturer, fermented red bean curd contains Shaoxing wine or other wheat-based spirits.

 
INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation

  1. In a small sauce pan, combine all marinade ingredients EXCEPT for red fermented bean curd.
  2. Over low heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it continue cooking until it thickens into a sauce.
  3. Remove the pan from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
  4. While the sauce is cooling, prepare the pork shoulder steak. Pat dry the steak with a paper towel.
  5. With a fork, pierce holes all over the pork shoulder steak (both sides). Place in a ziplock bag or a container with a lid. Set aside.
  6. Mix in the red fermented bean curd into the cooled sauce until well incorporated.
  7. Pour the marinade over the pork shoulder steak, making sure the entire surface of the steak is covered. Let it marinate in the fridge overnight, not longer than 48 hours as it flavour might get too intense.

Let’s Cook!

  1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place an oven-safe rack on the lined baking sheet.
  2. Place the marinaded pork shoulder steak on the baking sheet. Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
  4. Meanwhile the oven is preheating, pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and let it bring to a boil. Allow the marinade thicken into a glaze. We will use it to glaze the pork shoulder steak as it cooks.
  5. When the oven is preheated, place the pork shoulder steak into the oven let it bake for 30 minutes in total. Brush the glaze onto the the pork shoulder steak (both sides) every 10 minutes or so.
  6. Check the doneness of the Char Siu with a thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 145ºF.
  7. Serve warm!

Optional: Because this is cooked in the oven, the Char Siu will not have the char like the traditional fire roasted Char Siu. I like to broil it in the oven until the surface chars a little bit on both sides.

Optional: If you have a grill, you can grill this instead of baking it!

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