Chinese BBQ Pork
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 1/2 tbs brown sugar (white also ok)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tbs light soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 TBS soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 2)
- 1 tbs oil (vegetable or canola) (Note 3)
- a few drops Red Food Coloring optional (Note 4)
Pork
- 1.2 to 1.5kg 2.4 to 3lb pork scotch fillet (collar neck, pork neck) OR pork shoulder (Note 5)
- 2 tbs honey extra
Instructions
- Simmer marinade ingredients in a small saucepan for 30 seconds. Cool, put in a ziplock bag with pork. Refrigerate 3 to 24 hours.
- Remove pork from Marinade, reserve. Leave on counter for 30 minutes. Mix honey into Marinade.
- Line a tray with foil, place a rack on the tray (optional). Put pork on rack. Roast for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 - 160F/ 65 - 70C.
- Halfway through bake time, dab on reserved Marinade.
- Switch to grill/broiler, grill until surface is caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes. Baste 2 to 3 times, the key to a thick glaze.
- Rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Notes
I finally managed to get a Chinese barbecue shop to tell me what cut of meat they use. Pork scotch fillet!! Also known as Pork Neck, Pork Collar or Pork Neck Collar.
It’s also terrific made with pork shoulder – I’d say just as good. Some people like to make it with pork belly but I find it too fatty for my taste.
I used to use pork tenderloin which is much leaner so you do need to be careful about overcooking, whilst still achieving that caramelization – cook times for this cut are in the recipe notes.
Scotch fillet and shoulder are much easier to cook with – they require longer cooking time to make the meat juicy which means incredible caramelization.
Recipe Notes:
1. The light soy sauce adds a touch more salt to the marinade, the balance I like. But it's fine to use all light soy sauce or all ordinary soy sauce. Do not use dark soy sauce (flavor is too intense).
2. You can get Chinese five-spice powder (a mix of spices) in the herb and spice section of supermarkets and it isn't any more expensive than other spices. You can substitute the Chinese five-spice powder with 1 tbsp extra hoisin sauce BUT you should reduce the sugar to 1 tsp, otherwise it will be too sweet.
3. Or other neutral-flavored oil.
4. The red food coloring is to make the pork red as you get at the Chinese barbecue shop. This is optional. Authentic Char Siu uses red bean curd for coloring and a touch of flavor - it can be found at Asian stores, use about 2 tbsp of the liquid, and no red food coloring.
I use the marinade in this recipe more frequently than the authentic version because I can get all the ingredients at the supermarket and it has a slightly more intense flavor - makes up for the absence of charcoal in this home version.
5. I used to make this with pork tenderloin (Note 6) but I've moved to scotch fillet roast (pictured in the post) and pork shoulder because they are ideal for longer cooking to get amazing caramelization and the pork is incredibly juicy inside. Scotch fillet is also known as Pork Neck, Pork Collar or Pork Neck Collar. This is what Chinese BBQ shops in Australia use.
Pork shoulder is also ideal - beautifully juicy. If using pork shoulder, using boneless, skinless, and trim off most of the thick layer of fat on the surface. Then cut into long thin pieces, like pictured in the post with the scotch fillet.
You want thin slices about 2.5cm/1" thick to get the best flavor penetration from the marinade.
Some people also make this using pork belly but I find that too oily for my taste for this particular recipe.
6. PORK TENDERLOIN cooking directions (photo here of how it looks): Roast at 180C/350F for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 - 160F/ 65 - 70C. Around halfway through roasting, baste generously with the reserved Marinade. Sort of dab it on so you get as much Marinade on the pork as possible - this is key for getting the thick, glossy glaze. Then flick to broiler/grill on high and broil for a few minutes until the surface is charred and glossy, basting once or twice.
7. Leftovers – I continue to eat it for days, but also freeze excess.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!