Easy Char Siu (Chinese BBQ pork, 叉烧)

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the two thin boneless pork shoulder steaks in a resealable food bag. Add the ready Char Siu sauce (4 tbsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), ½ tablespoon light soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder, sliced garlic (4), ginger slices (5 slices) and optional chili powder (½ tsp).

   Uses 2 thin boneless pork shoulder steaks, about 350 g total · 4 tbsp ready Char Siu sauce · 1 tbsp oyster sauce · ½ tbsp light soy sauce · ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder · 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced · 5 slices ginger · ½ tsp chili powder, optional

2. 2

   Step 2: Squeeze out the air, seal the bag and rub it to coat the pork evenly. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

   Refrigerate pork marinade · 360 minUses pork steaks in their marinade

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Just before roasting, lift the pork from its refrigerated marinade in step 2. Keep the steaks separate and reserve the used marinade for boiling in step 6.

   Uses refrigerated pork and marinade

4. 4

   Step 4: Preheat the oven to 220°C conventional or 200°C fan (425°F conventional). Keep the pork chilled until the tray is ready for roasting.

5. 5

   Step 5: Place a wire rack inside a roasting tray. Add hot water to the tray below the rack, keeping the water away from the meat, and place the marinated steaks from step 3 on the rack. Keep the tray ready to put into the oven in step 7. Maintain enough water below the rack throughout roasting.

   Uses Two marinated steaks lifted from the bag · Hot water, enough to cover the tray base below the roasting rack, plus top-ups as needed

6. 6

   Step 6: Pour the used marinade reserved in step 3 into a small saucepan. Bring it to a full boil and let it boil for a few minutes before using any for brushing, glaze or serving. Keep it separate from raw-meat utensils. Its remaining quantity will depend on how much clung to the steaks.

   Uses Used marinade separated from the pork steaks

7. 7

   Step 7: Put the tray set up in step 5 in the middle of the preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes at 220°C conventional or 200°C fan. At the reminder, take out the tray, turn the steaks over and brush them with some of the boiled marinade from step 6. Return the tray to the oven and check that water remains below the rack.

   First roast: turn after 15 minutes · 15 minUses Two marinated steaks, separate from the tray water · Some boiled marinade for brushing

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Roast the turned steaks from step 7 for a further 10 minutes at the same oven setting. While they roast, mix the 2 teaspoons honey with 2 teaspoons of the boiled marinade from step 6 in a separate bowl for the glaze.

   Second roast: 10 minutes · 10 minUses turned pork steaks on their roasting rack · 2 tsp honey for the glaze · 2 tsp boiled marinade

9. 9

   Step 9: Increase the oven to 240°C conventional or 220°C fan (460°F conventional). Take out the pork from step 8 and brush its upper face with some of the honey glaze made in that step, reserving the rest for the other face. Return the tray to the oven.

   Uses Roasted steaks, separate from the glaze bowl · Some honey glaze for the upper face; reserve the rest

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Roast the glazed pork from step 9 for 5 minutes at the higher setting, watching closely to avoid burning.

    First glaze roast: turn after 5 minutes · 5 minUses Glazed pork on its rack, separate from reserved glaze

11. 11

    Step 11: At the reminder, take out the pork from step 10, turn it and brush the other face with the remaining honey glaze reserved in step 9. Roast for a final 3 minutes at 240°C conventional or 220°C fan, watching the glaze. Check that the center reaches at least 63°C; continue roasting if needed before resting.

    Final glaze roast: 3 minutes · 3 minUses first-face glazed roasted pork · Remaining honey glaze for the other face

12. 12

    Step 12: Transfer the cooked pork from step 11 to a clean board and let it rest for 5 minutes after reaching at least 63°C. Slice and serve warm.

    Rest Char Siu before slicing · 5 minUses fully roasted Char Siu pork

13. 13

    Step 13: If you want a serving sauce, take only the unused boiled marinade remaining from step 6, remove the garlic and ginger, and bring it back to a full boil before serving. Do not use marinade that has not been boiled or any glaze contacted by a raw-meat brush. Otherwise discard the unused sauce.

    Uses Unused boiled marinade remaining after the brushing and glaze draws