Char Siew

This is a recipe from Makansutra. Have tried many char siew recipes and although they tasted ok, the oomph factor was still missing from those recipes.

So when I saw this recipe, I just had to try. And instead of using pork belly (I did use pork belly second time round) I used pork ribs and it turned out great.

This recipe is a keeper, so for all those out there still looking for a good char siew recipe, try this!

And for my muslim friends, if you are reading this, you can try with chicken thighs and omit the Shaoxing wine.

Char Siew - Recipe from Makansutra

Ingredients:

2kg Pork neck (cut into long strips)

1 thumb of Ginger (peeled and puréed)

10 cloves Garlic (finely minced)

Char siew marinade/sauce:

5 tbsp Soy sauce

5 tbsp Hoisin sauce

1 tbsp Five spice powder

8 tbsp Honey

4 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp White pepper powder

Methods:

1) Heat up all the char siew marinade sauce ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil over low fire till combined. When it becomes slightly thickened and sticky, it’s ready. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2) Mix in the garlic and ginger.

3) Marinate the pork neck strips with this sauce for at least one night.

4) When ready to cook, heat the oven to 200˚C.

5) Remove the meat from the marinade and shake off of excess sauce. Put the strips in a foil-lined pan (for easier clean up later), leaving a bit of space around each piece so that the meat roasts as opposed to steaming it.

6) Cook the char siew for about 30 minutes, turning the meat over halfway through.

7) Meanwhile bring the leftover marinade to a boil for about 5 minute. Brush this sauce onto the pork while grilling (every 5-10mins) until the char siew gets nice and charred. Optional: you can brush the meat with a bit of honey the last 5 minutes of cooking for extra sweetness and gloss.

8) Slice the char siew into bite-size pieces, drizzle the remaining char siew sauce over and serve immediately with the carb of your choice. Just add slices of cool cucumber. Makan time!