Char siu

Char siu is pork strips marinated in a sweet, savory sauce and roasted until lacquered and slightly charred at the edges. It is sliced thin and served over rice or in buns.

Char siu

Charsiu: Simon Shek, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Where it comes from

The name means 'fork roast', and the dish is an icon of Cantonese roast shops in Guangdong and Hong Kong. The red hue traditionally comes from fermented bean curd or red coloring.

Explore the cuisine of China, Hong Kong.

Recipe

Make Char siu at home

Serves 4-6Time 50 minutes plus marinating

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork shoulder, cut into long strips
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • Extra honey for glazing

How it's made

  1. Mix hoisin, honey, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, five-spice, garlic and vinegar.
  2. Coat the pork and marinate overnight, reserving a few spoonfuls of marinade.
  3. Heat the oven to 425 F (220 C) and set the pork on a rack over a pan with water in the bottom.
  4. Roast 15 minutes, baste with marinade and flip.
  5. Roast another 15-20 minutes, basting once, until charred in spots and cooked through.
  6. Brush with honey, rest 10 minutes and slice.

Variations

  • Honey char siu with extra glaze
  • Chicken char siu
  • Cha siu bao: filling for steamed buns

Cook’s tip: Add water to the roasting pan to keep the drips from burning and the pork juicy.

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About this page

Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.

Photo credit