Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

In order to make Char Siu Bao, or Chinese pork buns, you have to make the barbeque pork first. Making the Char Siu is pretty simple because all it requires is mixing up the sauce, marinating the meat, and roasting it in the oven. I decided to use a pork shoulder roast because tougher cuts work perfectly for slow cooking and results in tender cuts of meat. I cooked the char siu in the oven, but a slow cooker would be perfect for this recipe. The pork was great! The sauce is flavored with hoisin and five spice, and had a wonderful, complex flavor. The sauce is supposed to have a deep reddish color, so I added a drop of red food coloring to the sauce. I served the char siu with rice and the baby bok choy with lemongrass and ginger.

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
(Makes 1 5lb Roast)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 cup tbsp hoisin sauce
• 4 tbsp honey
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 5lb pork shoulder
• 1 drop red food coloring (optional)

Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients, and pour the mixture over the pork and let marinate for a few hours to over night.
2. Cover with foil, and roast in a preheated 325F oven for 2 1/2 hours or until the inside has reached 160F.B Let rest 10 minutes, covered in foil, before serving.