Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut the pork into long strips or chunks about 2–3 inches thick, leaving the fat in place.

   Uses 3 lb raw boneless pork shoulder or pork butt

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the sugar (¼ cup), salt (2 tsp), five-spice powder (½ tsp), white pepper (¼ tsp), sesame oil (½ tsp), optional wine, soy sauce (1 tbsp), hoisin sauce (1 tbsp), molasses (2 tsp), optional food coloring and minced garlic (3 cloves) to make the marinade.

   Uses ¼ cup granulated white sugar · 2 tsp salt · ½ tsp five-spice powder · ¼ tsp white pepper · ½ tsp sesame oil · 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry cooking sherry, optional · 1 tbsp soy sauce · 1 tbsp hoisin sauce

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Before the marinade touches the pork, reserve about 2 tbsp in a separate clean covered container for glazing. Rub the pork with the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate the pork for at least 8 hours, or overnight; refrigerate the clean reserved marinade separately.

   Refrigerate the marinating pork · 480 minUses Cut raw pork · Reserve about 2 tbsp clean marinade before using the remaining batch on the pork

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Preheat a conventional oven on its bake setting to 475°F/246°C, with a rack in the upper third. Check the oven temperature if possible. Watch the pork at least every 10 minutes during roasting and reduce heat if it starts to burn; a convection oven may cook faster.

5. 5

   Step 5: Line a sheet pan with foil and place a metal rack over it. Lift the marinated pork onto the rack with space between pieces, discarding unused raw pork marinade. Pour the separate 1½ cups roasting-pan water below the rack to keep drippings from burning.

   Uses The marinated pork lifted from its dish, excluding unused raw marinade and the separately reserved clean marinade · 1½ cups water for the pan below the roasting rack

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Put the pork in the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes at 475°F/246°C. Check for scorching, then reduce the oven to 375°F/190°C.

   Roast at the initial temperature · 10 minUses Pork on its rack above the water pan

7. 7

   Step 7: Roast at 375°F/190°C for another 15 minutes, completing 25 minutes of roasting in total. Check after 10 minutes of this phase and lower the heat if the surface is burning, then finish the remaining 5 minutes.

   Check the lower-temperature roast · 10 minUses Pork after the initial ten-minute roast

8. 8

   Step 8: While the pork roasts, mix the separately refrigerated clean reserved marinade with the 2 tbsp maltose or honey and 1 tbsp hot glaze water. If the maltose is too stiff to mix, warm it briefly until workable. Put a little of the mixed glaze in another clean bowl for the final brush after roasting, and keep it separate from the basting brush.

   Uses The approximately 2 tbsp set aside before contact with raw pork · 2 tbsp maltose or honey · 1 tbsp hot water for the glaze

9. 9

   Step 9: At 25 minutes of total roasting, flip the pork and rotate the pan 180 degrees. If the water pan is dry, add the conditional 1 cup water below the rack. Roast for another 15 minutes at 375°F/190°C, checking after 10 minutes and reducing heat if the pork is burning. Complete this phase to reach 40 minutes of total roasting.

   Check the roast after turning · 10 minUses Pork after twenty-five minutes of roasting · 1 cup additional water, only if the pan is dry when turning the pork

10. 10

    Step 10: At 40 minutes of total roasting, brush the pork with some of the basting glaze, flip it and brush the other side. Roast for the final 10 minutes at 375°F/190°C, watching for scorching.

    Finish roasting the glazed pork · 10 minUses Pork after forty minutes of roasting · Enough mixed glaze to brush both sides, excluding the clean finishing portion set aside

11. 11

    Step 11: After about 50 minutes of roasting, check that the pork is cooked through and caramelized. Use a thermometer: the centre must reach at least 145°F/63°C, followed by at least 3 minutes of rest. If more color is needed, briefly broil while watching continuously; stop before the sweet glaze burns.

    Uses Roasted glazed pork on the rack

12. 12

    Step 12: Lift the cooked pork off the rack and brush with the clean finishing glaze kept aside before basting. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing and dividing among eight servings.

    Rest the roast pork · 10 minUses The cooked pork lifted off the rack, excluding the pan water and rendered drippings · The small clean portion set aside before the basting brush touched the pork