char siu pork

The Chinese characters for char siu literally mean fork’and roast’, which reflect how the long, red strips are stabbed at one end with a hook and dangled inside a coal oven until their edges are deliciously charred. Char siu is easy to replicate at home and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it-serve as it is, use it to fill steamed and baked pork buns, or try it as a sand- wich filling. For the glaze, maltose gives a high shine but doesn’t have the floral sweetness of honey, so we like to use a bit of both.

Serves 800g pork neck, shoulder, or belly, sliced with the grain into 5cm-wide strips for the marinade 12 tbsp honey 12 tbsp light soy sauce tbsp dark soy sauce 12 tbsp rice wine 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tsp sesame oil tsp ground white pepper pinch five-spice powder(optional) 3 tbsp soft brown sugar 1 clove garlic, diced tsp red food colouring (optional) for the glaze 1 tbsp honey tbsp maltose syrup (or use 2 tbsp honey) 12 tsp finely diced ginger add an exotic(see here) cube of narm yu (red fermented beancurd) 1 Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl, including the narm yu, if using. Add the pork to the marinade, and use your hands to massage it into the pork. Cover and chill overnight.

2 The next day, preheat the oven to1 180°c/350°Gas mark4. Line baking tray with non-stick-paper and set a wire rack on top. Arrange the pork on the rack, leaving at least 2cm between each strip. Keep the leftover marinade nearby. Roast the pork for 20 minutes, then brush with the leftover marinade, turn, brush the other side and roast for a further 20 minutes until the pork is cooked and a deep red colour, and the marinade has dried out.

3 Switch the oven setting to the grill setting. Mix the honey, maltose (if using)and 1 tablespoon boiling water together in a bowl. Remove the tray from the oven and brush the glaze over the pork. Return the tray to the top shelf and grill with the door slightly ajar for 2-3 minutes, until the edges char slightly, and there are tiny beads of glaze foaming on the surface. Turn and re-peat for the other side.

4 Leave the pork to cool to room temperature and scrape the cooking juices into a bowl. Slice the pork into 3mm pieces to show off the crimson ring around the outer edge, fanning out the slices to emphasise the effect if you wish, and serve with the reserved cooking juices drizzled on top.

qingquang

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