How to Make the Best Darn Ever Sweet and Sticky Chinese BBQ Pork Char Siu
Try this recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 45.1474191872039 g
- Cholesterol 0.959999999188464 mg
- Fat 1.6059150001055 g
- Fiber 4.85749999230241 g
- Protein 7.52691667848555 g
- Saturated Fat 0.252424999979279 g
- Serving Size 1 1 pound (779g)
- Sodium 533.185166260451 mg
- Sugar 40.2899191949015 g
- Trans Fat 0.286615000431927 g
- Calories 214 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix the marinade ingredients throughly.
- Coat the pork with the sauce and marinate for minimum 1 hour and up to 24.
- When ready to cook, heat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off excess. Lay the pork on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, flipping halfway through.
- While the pork is cooking, heat up the remaining marinade (remove the ginger and garlic) with the last 2 tablespoons of honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until it reduces and thickens slightly. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Brush the pork with the glaze and turn the heat up to 400°F, brushing with glaze and flipping, until slightly charred. Let rest slightly, slice and enjoy!
Deep mahogany surfaces gleam with a sticky lacquer that smells of warm five-spice, fermented soy, and toasted honey. Achieving this specific finish relies entirely on sugar concentration and heat control during the final minutes of cooking. Understanding the underlying chemistry allows home cooks to scale quantities without ruining the texture. Doubling the pork requires a second baking sheet rather than crowding a single pan. Crowding traps steam around the meat, which prevents the surface proteins from dehydrating adequately for browning. Marinade ratios scale linearly except for aromatic components like garlic and ginger, which should increase by only fifty percent to avoid bitter harshness. Simmering the leftover marinade denatures enzymes from the raw meat while evaporating excess water into a brushable glaze. Sugars burn rapidly at high heat once water content drops to near zero. Monitoring the oven closely during the final four-hundred-degree blast prevents the honey from turning acrid. Leftover pork maintains quality in the refrigerator for up to four days sealed in an airtight container. Reheating these cold slices benefits from adding a single teaspoon of water to the pan to loosen the hardened sugar before serving.
