Char Siu Pork

Char siu pork is something I make only once in a while, since the big piece of meat and marinating can be a pain if I'm short on time, but it's a dish I really enjoy! The infrequency means I have yet to land on a go-to recipe for it - my habit is to try a different method each time. This time, I tried out a recipe from Andong that was a simplified take on the traditional char siu process (and even then I had to skip a few ingredients!) and I think it came out really well. Would definitely remake!

The most labor-intensive part is the marinade, since the majority of the ingredients go into this step. There's some prep in terms of mincing/chopping, but everything is very straightforward! I poured the marinade and meat into a gallon Ziploc freezer bag and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. This was probably about 3 pounds of pork shoulder; next time I would cut this huge piece into at least 2 smaller pieces - both to shorten cooking time and to get better marinade penetration throughout.

Let the pork rest for a while before slicing. The edges are my favorite part of char siu, unsurprisingly. Those are the bits with the most flavor, and when taken fresh out of the oven, they're the parts that are addictingly crispy and chewy! I wasn't too interested in achieving the right red color, and I didn't have the fermented tofu product that Andong recommends, so mine is a pretty straightforward brown color.

Char siu is honestly tasty enough to snack on alone... but as in the first photo, I first used it in a rice bowl with stir-fried garlic bok choy! After I set the pork in the oven to bake, I actually transferred the excess marinade to a shallow pan and simmered it on the stovetop until it reduced to a thicker consistency, which I went ahead and used as a sauce in my rice bowls.

Another potential use for char siu: topping your ramen! This is a very basic ramen pack that I cooked up with some spinach - the vegetable I had on hand - and bulked up with some of the pork.

With the last of the pork I had, I made fried rice! Diced char siu, eggs, peas, green onions, brown rice, salt and white pepper, and the last of the char siu sauce came together for this hearty leftover-makeover dish.

Char Siu Pork

adapted from My Name is Andong

Ingredients

Pork belly, shoulder, or neck, 1.5-2lbs (meat should be at least 3cm thick)

Marinade:

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 tbsp minced scallions

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp five spice powder

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Nanru (red fermented tofu) if available - 1-2 pieces, plus 2 tbsp of the sauce

Glaze:

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp hot water

1 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

1. Prep the pork by using a fork to poke a few holes throughout the meat.

2. Make the marinade: in a medium bowl, add in all of the marinade ingredients and stir well.

3. Place the pork in a Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and massage to ensure the pork is fully covered. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours (ideally overnight).

4. Preheat your oven to 400F. Place a wire rack on top of a baking pan. Remove the pork from the marinade and place it on the rack. Brush with a layer of the marinade and place it in the oven for 15 minutes, then flip the pork and baste with the marinade once more. Put the meat back in the oven for 15 more minutes. 

5. While the pork is baking, make the glaze by mixing together the honey, water, and maple syrup.

6. Next, baste with the honey maple glaze and turn the oven broiler on. 

7. Broil the pork for 5 minutes, then flip the meat and glaze once more before putting it back under the broiler for 5 more minutes. You'll know the pork is done when the edges are a bit charred and the internal temperature has reached 160F.

8. Once cooked, remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!