Char Siu: Chinese BBQ Pork

Char Siu a.k.a Chinese BBQ Pork.

This might look a little different from what you typically associate with Char Siu, but I didn't think it was necessary to die it red with food coloring.

You can do this with almost any cut of pork, but I'd pick something with a little fat in it, such as the shoulder.

Ingredients:

• ~2 lbs. pork shoulder, sliced into 1 1/2-2 in. thick pieces
• 5 T honey (you can substitute 2T for 3T maltose, but maltose is much harder to find)
• 3 T hoisin
• 3T sweet soy sauce
• 1 t Chinese five spice powder
• 1 t ground white pepper
• 3 t sesame oil
• 1/2- 1 head garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Combine everything, except the pork, into a sauce pan on low heat. Let it simmer for ~5 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely. (Stir continuously so the sugars do not burn).
2. Reserve a few tablespoons (3-4) of the marinade on the side.
3. Place your slices of pork into a plastic ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it. Let it marinate for 4 hrs-overnight (I always prefer overnight!).
4. Pull the meat out of the marinade and let the excess drip off.
5. If you have a grill (best option!) grill the meat for about 8-10 minutes on each side. During the last couple of minutes of grilling, baste each side with the reserved marinade and allow the outside to caramelize.
6. If you don't have a grill (which I usually don't), heat your oven to 350°F and place a rack on top of a sheet pan covered in foil. When the oven is hot, rest your meat on top of the rack and bake for 30-45 minutes (until your meat reaches 160°F). Baste with the extra marinade and broil for 2 minutes on each side to create the shiny delicious crust.
7. Let rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve!

Leftovers are great in fried rice or on top of ramen!