Char Siu Pork

Method

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1. Whisk all the marinade ingredients together. Reserve 4 tablespoons for basting and pour the rest over the pork strips.

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2. Massage the marinade in, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally 24, turning once.

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3. Take the pork out an hour before cooking. Line a roasting tin with foil and pour in 250 ml of water — this catches drips and stops the sugars smoking out the kitchen.

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4. Set the pork on a rack over the tin and roast at 200°C / 390°F for 25 minutes.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

5. Turn the strips, baste with the reserved marinade, and roast a further 15 minutes.

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6. Mix the glaze ingredients. Brush the pork generously and roast 5 minutes, then repeat twice more, turning between each, until the surface is dark, sticky and caramelised at the edges.

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7. Finish under a hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes for extra char, watching constantly.

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8. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain and serve with rice and any glaze from the tin.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Cut the pork into strips no thicker than 5 cm so the marinade penetrates and the surface-to-meat ratio stays high.
• The water in the tin is essential. Without it the dripping sugar will scorch and fill the kitchen with smoke.
• Red fermented bean curd gives the traditional colour and a subtle funk; a teaspoon of beetroot powder is a natural alternative to food colouring.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold lager or an off-dry Riesling
• Serve over rice with blanched greens, or in bao buns
• Finish with mango

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate 4 days, freeze 3 months. Slice cold for noodle soups, or reheat under a grill for 3 minutes to revive the glaze.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.