Name: Easy Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
Yield: Serves 3-4
Ingredients: 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) pork shoulder; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; Thinly sliced scallions, to serve; 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce; 1 tsp. dark soy sauce; ½ tsp. white pepper; 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce; 2 cubes red fermented bean curd, mashed; ½ tsp. Chinese five-spice; 1 Tbsp. honey; 1 Tbsp. Mei Kuei Lu Chiew liquor; A few drops red food coloring (optional)

Barbecued pork with scallions on a plate with bok choy and tea.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou

Char siu, with its sweet and savory notes, has a certain deliciousness that’s forever locked in my food memories—it makes my mouth water from the moment I see the honey dripping down the smoky pork in Cantonese siu mei restaurants. In Hong Kong, this barbecued pork is taken so seriously that food critics debate which establishment makes the best. Some say family-run Joy Hing’s in Wan Chai, while others consider Mott 32 with its top-drawer Ibérico de bellota pork the best.

This is a simple recipe. The secret lies in the marinade and basting the BBQ pork while it’s roasting. This recipe is based on the glorious char siu I’ve had at One Harbour Road, the Cantonese restaurant at the Grand Hyatt in Wan Chai.

This recipe calls for Mei Kuei Lu Chiew liquor, which translates as “rose dew wine” or “rose essence.” It’s made with sorghum and rose petals. If it’s unavailable, though, you can use Shaoxing rice wine.

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What you’ll need

Light Soy Sauce
$20 At Amazon
Dark Soy Sauce
$9 At Amazon
Red Fermented Bean Curd
$13 At Amazon
Mei Kuei Lu Chiew Liquor
$4 At Weee!

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 lb 2 oz (500 g) pork shoulder

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Thinly sliced scallions, to serve

For the marinade

1 Tbsp. light soy sauce

1 tsp. dark soy sauce

½ tsp. white pepper

1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

2 cubes red fermented bean curd, mashed

½ tsp. Chinese five-spice

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. Mei Kuei Lu Chiew liquor

A few drops red food coloring (optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Cut the pork lengthways into strips 2 inches wide and 1-inch thick and put into a nonreactive container. Combine the marinade ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and stir together. Leave to cool, then stir in the garlic and massage the marinade into the pork. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 5–6 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring the pork back to room temperature and drain off the excess marinade into a small bowl. Place the pork on a rack in the middle of the oven and put a roasting pan containing a cupful of hot water underneath on the bottom rack. Roast the meat for 20 minutes, basting with the marinade occasionally. Reduce the oven to 350°F and roast for a further 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F.
Step 3
Cool the pork briefly, then cut it into bite-size pieces. Garnish with spring onions and serve as an appetizer or with steamed rice as a light meal.

Cookbook of Hong Kong Food City by Tony Tan.

Excerpted from Hong Kong Food City by Tony Tan, photography by Greg Elms. Murdoch Books, RRP US$29.99. Buy the book from Murdoch Books, Bookshop, or Amazon.