Chinese · Guangdong
Char Siu
Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ pork) — boneless pork shoulder or neck marinated in a sweet-savoury red glaze of fermented red bean curd, honey, hoisin, soy, and oyster sauce, then roasted on hanging skewers in a commercial char siu oven, or on a rack in a home oven, basted multiple times to build the glossy, caramelised exterior. The ideal char siu has a deep red-brown lacquer, a slightly caramelised, almost candy-like exterior, and yields completely in the interior.
‹Swipe for the next dish›
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
800g
pork shoulder
cut into 4cm cubes
Your own market
60ml
soy sauce
40ml
Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing)
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
30ml
hoisin sauce
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
20g
rock sugar
Origin · ChinaWismettac · Vancouver →
6 cloves
garlic
smashed
Your own market
3cm
2
star anise
Your own market
1
cinnamon stick
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
five-spice powder
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
300ml
chicken stock
Your own market
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Bring a pot of water to boil; blanch pork cubes for 3 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water to remove impurities.
2
Combine soy sauce, rice wine, hoisin sauce, rock sugar, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, five-spice powder, and chicken stock in a braising pot.
3
Add blanched pork; bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover with a lid; braise 3–4 hours, stirring occasionally, until pork is very tender and braising liquid is reduced by half.
4
Remove pork with a slotted spoon and set aside; strain braising liquid through a fine sieve, discarding solids.
5
Return pork to the strained liquid and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to glaze and reduce sauce further.
6
Cool to room temperature; refrigerate overnight if time permits (flavour develops).
7
Reheat gently before serving; serve over steamed white rice or as a component in bao buns.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where char siu lives or dies is the final honey glaze under high heat — the honey caramelises rapidly at 240C, creating an almost burnt-sugar exterior that is simultaneously sweet, sticky, and slightly bitter. Watch this carefully: 2 minutes is right; 4 minutes is burnt. The surface should be mahogany and glistening, with visible charred edges on the thinner parts.
Pillars V — VII
The full recipe pages are part of membership.
Cross-cuisine parallels, what to pour, and the dish's origin and lineage — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year
Sourced through Provenance