“I don’t like char siu pork”… said no one, ever. It’s the sweet/sticky/salty pork of everyone’s wildest dreams (well mine, anyway), with fragrant hints of five spice powder and a particular kind of lip-smacking lusciousness like nothing else. Divine. Glorious. Addictive. Perfect as is, or served alongside slurpy noodles, steamed Asian greens or savoury rice. Yep, Chinese BBQ pork is probably the meaning of life.
But what exactly IS char siu pork?
OK, a bit of background. Char siu pork is a style of Chinese barbecued meat from Guangdong province in southern China; it’s close to Hong Kong which explains char siu’s popularity there too. The name ‘char siu’ literally means ‘fork roasted’ after the traditional cooking method, where long thin pieces of the marinated meat are threaded onto special forks or skewers, then slow-cooked in a covered oven or over fire.
Fatty, boneless cuts of pork are best – loin, belly, shoulder and neck, for example. Char siu is part of a wider category of Chinese roasted meats called siu mei, which includes things like roast duck, goose and soy sauce chicken. Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam all have versions of char siu too, so it’s not exclusively a Chinese thing.
What makes char siu so mmm…?
It’s that lovely marinade and glistening glaze! Maltose (or honey), five spice power, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, red fermented tofu and red food colour comprise the basic mixture; in China, it’s common to use ‘red yeast rice’ to colour the pork.
Used in traditional Chinese medicine, this interesting ingredient is the dried, powdered form of a yeast that grows on rice and it has an intense rusty red colour. I use beetroot powder instead and this works a treat; find it in health food stores or in the health food section of the supermarket. Oh and my recipe doesn’t contain the red fermented tofu either and IMHO, this doesn’t make that big a difference.
Char siu; easy to buy, but easy to make too
If you’re lucky enough to have a Cantonese roast shop near where you live, then knock yourself out and buy char siu to your heart’s content. But if you don’t have one nearby, or you fancy indulging in some DIY, it’s not hard to cook it from scratch. My easy homemade recipe for char siu uses pork neck, gets marinated overnight in the fridge, then roasts on a rack over water, which keeps it properly juicy and succulent.
As it cooks, you brush your pork with some reserved marinade a few times, rest it for 10 minutes once it’s cooked, then rip into it. The beauty of making your own char siu pork is that whole, cooked pieces can be wrapped in baking paper and cling film, then frozen for up to 2 months. Meaning you can always have some on hand when cravings for its sweet, porky deliciousness hit. As they certainly will. Often.
What to serve with char siu pork
Char siu pork buns, but make ‘em BAKED
Some sort of carb for mopping up all those ridiculous flavours and rich, sticky juices, like noodles or rice. You’ll also find char siu in fillings for steamed buns or on top of steaming soups. It’s perfect in fried rice recipes too and you can even put it in wontons, dumplings or, wrap slices in the pancakes used for Peking duck, with the usual Peking duck accompaniments.
Char siu pork recipes
All my favourite recipes, in one easy place. Such a joy did not exist until now…
Homemade Chinese BBQ ‘Char Siu’ Pork
Grab your pork neck, marinate it overnight, then roast and baste. It’s that easy. You’ll never need your local Chinese roast shop again.
Chinese Fried Rice
We all need a killer fried rice recipe in our repertoire; everyone LOVES it and it’s so easy to make. Well, my friend, this is it!
Wonton & BBQ Pork Noodle Soup
This recipe has ALL my fave words in it… wontons, BBQ pork, noodle and soup. It’s one of my all-time favourite dishes ever.
Chinese BBQ Pork Steamed Buns
Mmmm… fluffy, meaty steamed pork buns. You know you want to. And now you can, using either homemade char siu, or popping out to buy some.
Chinese BBQ Pork ‘Char Siew’ Noodles
I know, I know, we all love char siu as-is. But throwing some noodles into the mix? It’s called ‘making a good thing even good-er’.
BBQ Pork & Prawn Noodle Soup
Direct from the streets of Bangkok to your table, this fully epic soup is simple to make. It’s light, filled with flavour and so darned satisfying.
Sticky Char Siu Pork Fried Rice Bowl
Use homemade char siu… or follow the recipe and get the same vibes by cheating. Whichever way you go, this is fully delish.
Cheat’s Char Siu Pork Noodles
More cheating! Use mince and char siu sauce, or make this even more impressive by subbing in your own homemade char siu pork.
