![]() Only vacuum if not too wet or if you have a vacuum chamber that can cope with liquids. Sous vide method: Seal the pork strips in individual bags. Add the honey and reduce for 10-15 mins or so over medium heat on the hob until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours in the fridge.ĭrain the marinade from the pork. Add to the pork and massage it in allover. Mix together the marinade ingredients except the star anise in a pestle and mortar, blender or mini food processor. Mix the brine wine with the rose water (if using) and rub that in all over too. Rub the pork on all sides with the sugar for the sweet brine. Use dry sherry or a neutral Chinese cooking wine as a last resortĪ tiny dash of rose water if not using rose wine (optional)Ģ tbsp black treacle, golden syrup or muscovado sugarġ piece red bean curd (fermented tofu) and 2 tbsp of the sauce from the tin or jarĢ tbsp ketjap manis or more light soy sauceĢ cloves of garlic, peeled and finely choppedġ small shallot, peeled and finely choppedĪ good thumb of fresh ginger, peeled and gratedĢ tbsp Korean red pepper flakes ( optional) IngredientsĨ00-900 gr pork shoulder or butt, cut into thick 5-7 cm wide strips along the grainģ-4 tbsp muscovado sugar or coconut palm sugarģ-4 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing rice wine or ideally Chinese rose wine if you can get hold of it. If you can’t find the Korean ones, just leave them out and add a healthy pinch of white pepper instead. Don’t confuse this with red chili flakes, which are too hot and fiery for this. I like a little background spice to counterbalance the sticky sweetness of the marinade, so I’ve added Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru). THE RECIPE Char Siu Pork (serves 4 – DF LC RSF) Go for 12 hrs minimum, but best no longer than 24 hrs max, else the salty marinade will start to overpower and overcure the meat. You could use dark or light soy sauce or tamari instead. But it works great for that extra sweet and salty edge. I like to use Ketjap Manis, the Indonesian sweet soy sauce, which I know is completely non-traditional. Adjust the quantity depending on your chosen soy. The salt: The red fermented bean curd adds saltiness, but so does the soy. I’d refrain from sugar substitutes here, as stevia and Erythritol and such likes will not deliver the trademark burnt caramel stickiness that defines a good char siu. I also like to use coconut palm sugar in the sweet brine, but palm sugar or a brown sugar such as muscovado will work equally well. Adjust the quantity depending on the sweetener chosen. ![]() The sweetness: Use light molasses (not blackstrap), golden syrup, black treacle, maltose, muscovado sugar or honey. But it completely makes up for that in sheer deliciousness. Especially if you use black treacle as I did. Either way, your homemade version will never look as bright red as commercial Char Siu unless you add food colouring. Replace it with extra hoisin or soy sauce if you can’t find it. Use red fermented bean curd instead if you can get hold of it, as it doesn’t just add a hint of red, but also a deep umami flavour. The colour: Many commercial Char Siu use red food colouring. And keep a close eye once the glaze is on, as there is such a thing as too much char! Please be sure to adjust the cooking time and temperatures depending on the cut you are using, and the size of the individual pieces. If using pork belly, I suggest a longer slower roast. You could use tenderloin, but be prepared to accept that your char siu wont be quite as moist and succulent. The meat: You need a fatty cut of pork such as shoulder, butt, neck or belly for this. To help you get things right, here’s a few pointers, regardless of the cooking method you choose: The pork in the pictures was cooked long and slow in a sous vide water bath and then seared off with the final glaze on a hot cast iron griddle. ![]() I’m providing instructions for all these methods, so the choice is yours. You can cook the pork in the oven, under a grill, on the BBQ or sous vide in a water bath. ![]() Mind you, it’s perfect for just picking from the fridge with your fingers every time you happen to be passing by… It’s equally at home in a steaming bowl of ramen noodle broth Wagamama style. It’s also lovely served with plain jasmine rice and some stir fried Asian greens or an Asian slaw. Sticky char siu pork is delicious stuffed into fluffy steamed bao buns with a light pickle or kimchi. The good news is though, that most of the time is simply spent marinating, rather than actually doing anything. So I have dedicated a whole weekend to bring you this gorgeous recipe. ![]()
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