Char Siu Recipe - Chinese BBQ Pork | The Rub Kitchen

Char siu (叉燒, also char siew) is Cantonese roasted pork, recognised by its glossy, sweet and savoury exterior. The name is often translated as “fork-roasted”, referring to cooking on long forks or skewers. This is a home version for the barbecue or oven, with hoisin, honey and five-spice powder. Recipes vary; red colouring is optional and does not indicate doneness.

What is char siu?

Char siu belongs to the Chinese roast-meat tradition known as siu mei. Pork shoulder or neck provides a fattier, juicy base, but this preparation does not automatically make it as soft as pulled pork. Sauce and glaze provide the shine. The exterior can become reddish-brown without colouring; the exact colour depends on the recipe and products used.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 700 g pork shoulder or pork neck, cut into strips 3–4 cm thick
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey, or maltose syrup as a variation
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, or dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp five-spice powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Optional: a few drops of red food colouring suitable for this use, following the label

For 4 people with rice, noodles or vegetables. Do not use red yeast rice supplements to colour the food. This home version does not include an unspecified red yeast rice powder option. Hoisin, soy sauce and other ingredients may contain allergens such as soy, wheat or sesame; check labels when allergens matter.

Marinating and reserving clean glaze

  1. Mix all marinade ingredients. Reserve about a third before adding raw meat. Keep this clean glaze covered in the refrigerator around 4°C. The quantities above cover both marinade and glaze together.
  2. Mix the meat with the remainder and marinate covered for 4–8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, within the meat’s use-by period. Do not leave it on the counter.
  3. Discard the marinade that has touched raw meat after marinating. Use only the separately reserved glaze for brushing.
  4. Pour a small working portion into a separate bowl each time. Do not return a brush that touches the meat to the clean reserve. Discard leftovers from the working bowl; keep any table sauce entirely separate and untouched.

Char siu on the BBQ

  1. Prepare the BBQ for indirect heat at 180–200°C, keeping the meat away from flames. Use a suitable drip pan to limit fat and sweet sauce falling onto charcoal.
  2. Space the strips apart on the grate and close the lid. The original 25–30 minutes is only a rough planning indication; thickness, starting temperature and barbecue can require considerably longer. Check in good time with a thermometer.
  3. Brush thinly with clean working portions of glaze during the later cooking stage and allow the glaze to cook on. An 8–10-minute interval is at most a guide, not compulsory. Do not burn the sauce.
  4. Measure the centre of several thick pieces. Aim for a core temperature of 70°C for this recipe. Then rest the meat for at least 3 minutes before slicing. Colour and timing do not replace measurement.
  5. For extra colour, you may briefly finish over more direct heat under constant supervision, but this is optional. There is no fixed final 5-minute stage: honey and hoisin can blacken quickly. Keep clear of flames and return to indirect heat if it colours too fast.

Char siu in the oven

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Space the meat on an oven-safe rack above a baking tray to catch drips.
  2. Roast and brush thinly later with clean portions of glaze, as for the BBQ. Here too, 25–30 minutes is not a guaranteed cooking time. Measure the centre instead of following the timer alone.
  3. Aim for 70°C at the centre and rest for at least 3 minutes. A brief grill or broiler finish for extra colour is optional; stay nearby and check constantly because the sweet glaze burns easily.

Choosing five-spice powder and ingredients

Five-spice powder adds a warm, anise-like profile. Many blends contain star anise, cinnamon or cassia, cloves, fennel and Sichuan pepper, but compositions vary. Check the package rather than assuming one compulsory formula.

Hoisin, Shaoxing wine, five-spice powder and maltose syrup are often available from Asian grocers or specialist suppliers; ranges vary. Ask a butcher for strips of pork shoulder or neck if needed. Maltose syrup is not interchangeable with any malt syrup; honey remains the alternative in this recipe. Use only ingredients and colouring intended for culinary use.

Serving, storing and reheating

Serve on a clean plate with rice, noodles or vegetables, or as a bao filling. Do not reuse a plate or tongs still carrying raw meat juices. Cool leftovers in small shallow containers and refrigerate around 4°C within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when outdoor temperature exceeds approximately 32°C. Use refrigerated leftovers within 2 days or freeze sooner. Reheat to a core temperature of 74°C. This is conservative household storage advice, not a tested shelf-life claim for every product.

Further reading and sources

FDA: safe handling and core temperatures

Centre for Food Safety: siu mei and food safety