Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Char siew - Chinese barbecued pork





This was a recipe I'd been trying to get right for a while. Usually, it's not worth making yourself because the char siew from the local market is excellent in most cases and cheap enough. But I'm not living in a place where I can get it that easily, so I had to make it myself. A mixture of burnt edges, sweet tang, and partially rendered fat make this dish a winner. Throw in some chinese broccoli (kai lan) on the side and it's almost like I'm back in Chinatown or Singapore.

This is going to be my style of "recipe". Remember, this is mostly by feel, mostly by experimentation.
  1. Stab strips of fatty pork butt all over with a fork
  2. Marinate in a mixture of hoisin, rice wine, ketchup, garlic, ginger, white pepper, five spice powder (ESSENTIAL for the right taste)
  3. Throw on a rack in a 450 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, turning twice and brushing on leftover marinade. Look for black charring on the edges. Don't worry, it's not burnt, it tastes amazing....

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