I love Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) 蜜汁叉燒! It’s one of our family’s stables that appears on our dining table at least twice a month, if not more often. When I was still living in Hong Kong, it is one of the most popular last minute “to-go” item to purchase from BBQ restaurants as an additional dish for dinner. Or, if you are a dinner guest at someone’s house for a home cook meal, Char Siu is always a well received hostess gift.
I usually double my Char Siu recipe that I shared here (see full recipe at the bottom of the post). Why? Because the left over is just as amazing when paired with noodles and/or individual buns (those will be in another posts)! So, don’t be afraid to make more. You’re going to love my secret recipe that taste just as good as those that are selling at the BBQ restaurants. I know there are “ready made” bottled Char Siu sauce out there. But they don't taste as authentic as making your own sauce from scratch, at all!
First off, the glorious shiny glaze! It’s achieved by using
maltose (a.k.a. malt sugar)! Yes, it’s the thick and sticky
maltose that gives the Char Siu that gloss. While it is well known that honey is used in the recipe, its purpose is mainly to add flavor. It really is the maltose that gives the meat that shine and glossy finish. I got the
maltose at a local Asian supermarket, or you can
check it out here.
Now, onto the gorgeous red hue. The redness is from the
Red Bean Curd, which is made from fermented soy beans and red rice! It also gives the Char Siu that distinctive depth of earthy aroma that you can’t get from other ingredients. I have to warn you, bean curd is on the salty side. That’s why you only need one piece for the recipe.
Here’s how it looks inside (see picture below).
Some brands also package the bean curds in glass jars. Just make sure it’s the red bean curd, and NOT Chilli bean curd that gives the redness. So, read the list of ingredients before you buy it. I don't think you want spicy Char Siu, right?
Another secret ingredient is
the Hoisin Sauce. Think of it as the sweet and savory Chinese BBQ sauce. It gives any dish the umani flavors! So, in between the
red bean curd,
Hoisin Sauce, chicken bouillon powder and soy sauce, you don’t need to add any salt in this recipe.
One more ingredient that I would like to mention is fresh ginger root! It’s earthy, yet refreshing. It lightens up the whole dish. Just make sure you peel the skin off the ginger root and grate it with the ginger grater. The fibers from the ginger will magically disappeared and left you with the smooth grated fresh ginger that is fine in texture and not chunky at all. You don’t want to bite into big pieces of ginger in your Char Siu. The grater doesn't have to be expensive at all. My Mom got me this grater years ago and it works great.
Or you can check out this one here.
Hm…..check out this juicy and succulent piece of Char Siu! It’s ridiculously fragrant and so easy to make. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and forget about the bottled Char Siu Sauce! This is the real deal and I’m sure your family will love it just as much as my family does!
Props and Ingredients used in this post:
Maltose (
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Red Bean Curd (
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Hoisin Sauce (
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Ginger Grater (
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Assorted Floral Chopsticks (
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Roll Up Window Blinds used as backdrop (
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Crane Chopsticks Rest (
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Bamboo Placemats (
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