Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
I grew up eating char siu (or Chinese BBQ pork). In Thai, it’s called moo dang, which literally means red pork. Growing up it was the easiest meal my mom could get on the table. This pork is sold in many Asian grocery stores and restaurants. Just slice up the pork from the Asian market and serve it on rice with sliced cucumbers (or in this case, I did shishito peppers!). Once I got to college and needed a quick meal, this is exactly what I would do.
Try to choose fatty pork. Cut the strips in a way that all pieces will still have fat on them. This will keep your meat juicy.
I did multiple tests of different roasting times and temperatures. Lower temperatures made the pork wonderfully juicy, but it lacked the texture that a lot of the pork you’ll find in Chinatown has. I still wanted it to be juicy while having a nice chew.
Not pictured above, but roast the char siu on a roasting rack placed inside a baking sheet lined with foil. Pour water over the foil. This allows the air to circulate around the pork, creating a more evenly cooked piece of meat. The water prevents any drippings from burning.
It’s food coloring! I use gel food coloring which is more concentrated than liquid food coloring. You may need to use more coloring if you’re using liquid in order to still get a bright red color.
- Chinese spare rib soup
- Yellow curry noodle soup
- Pork and shrimp dumplings
- Dan dan noodles
- Shrimp wontons
- Japanese curry
Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Recipe details
- 8 people
- Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 50 Minutes Total time: 1 hr
Comments
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Thank you for this recipe. I have been looking for it for a really long time, about 20 years. This pork was always ordered when my family and I would go out to our favorite Chinese restaurant and it would always be the first item gone. Not many restaurants offer this any more, but now I can make it at home. Thank you
char sui is also great with chicken and ribs 😋