Pork Char Siu
A staple of Chinatown restaurant windows, there are few more beautiful things than a lacquered slab of properly roasted char siu. Deeply savoury, sweet and a little smoky, this version uses pork collar – the perfect cut for this dish, rich with flavoursome fat and juicy meat that stays tender over fire.
Ingredients
2.5kg pork collar cut into 4 strips (we used Beacon Farms)
MARINADE
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
A few drops of red food colouring
Method
1. In a large bowl or resealable bag, combine all marinade ingredients. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and fully combine. Add the pork strips and coat thoroughly in the marinade. Cover and leave to chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, turning when you remember.
2. Light your Somerset Grill / fire rack – set it up for hanging meat. Allow the fire to burn down until you have a steady, radiant heat – moderate and even, without strong flare-ups.
3. Remove pork from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Hang the strips on meat hooks from the pulley bar of the grill.
4. Keep a close eye during cooking as the sugars in the marinade can easily burn. Rotate the meat from time to time to ensure even cooking and avoid hotspots.
5. Cook the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 65°C. Remove from the grill and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
6. Slice the pork thinly across the grain. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and steamed pak choi, drizzled with warm oyster sauce.
Photo Credit: Nick Hook
More Recipes Ideas
Method
1. In a large bowl or resealable bag, combine all marinade ingredients. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and fully combine. Add the pork strips and coat thoroughly in the marinade. Cover and leave to chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, turning when you remember.
2. Light your Somerset Grill / fire rack – set it up for hanging meat. Allow the fire to burn down until you have a steady, radiant heat – moderate and even, without strong flare-ups.
3. Remove pork from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Hang the strips on meat hooks from the pulley bar of the grill.
4. Keep a close eye during cooking as the sugars in the marinade can easily burn. Rotate the meat from time to time to ensure even cooking and avoid hotspots.
5. Cook the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 65°C. Remove from the grill and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
6. Slice the pork thinly across the grain. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and steamed pak choi, drizzled with warm oyster sauce.
Photo Credit: Nick Hook
