China • Regional Dish • Main Course

Char Siu

A Cantonese roast pork classic with sweet-savory glaze, caramelized edges, and that unmistakable red-lacquered look.

Servings4

Prep Time15 min

Cook Time40 min

DifficultyModerate

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Ingredients

US Metric

1 1/2 lb pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into long thick strips

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp five-spice powder

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

2 tsp red fermented bean curd, mashed

2 tsp neutral oil

For glazing

2 tsp honey

2 tsp warm water

700 g pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into long thick strips

30 ml light soy sauce

15 ml oyster sauce

15 ml hoisin sauce

20 g honey

15 ml Shaoxing wine

10 g brown sugar

5 g five-spice powder

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

10 g red fermented bean curd, mashed

10 ml neutral oil

For glazing

15 g honey

10 ml warm water

Instructions

Cut the pork into long strips about 4 to 5 cm wide. This shape helps the meat roast evenly and gives you more lacquered surface.
In a bowl, whisk together the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, five-spice powder, garlic, mashed red fermented bean curd, and neutral oil.
Add the pork and rub the marinade over every surface. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Heat the oven to 200 C. Line a tray with foil and set a rack over it.
Arrange the pork on the rack, leaving space between the pieces. Roast for 20 minutes.
Turn the pork and roast for another 15 minutes.
Stir together the honey and warm water for the glaze. Brush the pork generously, then roast for 3 to 5 minutes more, until glossy and lightly charred at the edges.
Let the pork rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Cultural Context

Char siu is Cantonese roast pork and a star of the roast-meat tradition known as siu mei or siu laap. The idea is simple and glorious: marinate well-marbled pork in a sweet-savory sauce, then roast it until it turns glossy, reddish and lightly charred at the edges. At home, the main difference is equipment. Roast meat shops use hanging methods and specialized ovens; the rest of us have racks, hot ovens and optimism. Pork shoulder works beautifully because it has enough fat to stay juicy without becoming a porky slip-and-slide. The final glaze brings that sticky lacquer finish everybody came for.

Fun Fact

The bright reddish exterior of char siu often comes from marinade ingredients, such as red fermented bean curd, rather than food coloring in traditional-style home recipes.

Cook’s Tip

Pork shoulder or butt is the safest choice because it stays juicy and develops good caramelized edges. Strong Chinese cooking references repeatedly recommend these cuts for char siu. Red fermented bean curd is not mandatory in every home version, but it is a classic marinade ingredient and helps with both color and depth. Maltose is more traditional than honey in some versions, but honey is much easier for home cooks and still gives you that sticky lacquer.

Trivia

The red pork in many Chinese restaurant pork fried rice dishes is usually char siu, which is one reason the meat has a glossy, sweet edge and a brick-red crust.

About This Recipe

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Char Siu

Instructions

Cultural Context

Fun Fact

Cook’s Tip

Trivia

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