# Char Siu : Looking for advice on cuts, marinades, cooking temps



## erickso1 (Feb 26, 2018)

Finding good char siu around where I live is tough (at least w/o an hour plus trip each way). So I've been making it at home. I've been using pork shoulder, a marinade from serious eats, and oven roasting. It is good enough for me, but I know I could always do it better. 

The three things that I wrestle with are:

1.) how to cut the pork up for marinading and roasting. Currently I try to break down the butt into 4 or so pieces that keep together a muscle or group of muscles, instead of just slicing off 2x3 chunks. (all pieces are cut with the grain since I slice against the grain for serving). Is there a better way to break down the butt? 

2.) My marinade is pretty simple, sherry, soy, honey, five spice, hoison. What else can I add to really get the flavor going? I've heard of adding honey to the leftover marinade, then reducing to get a sauce for glazing. 

3.) Roasting temps. I've tried low temp until pork hits 165, then broil to glaze the sauce. I've tried 375 or 400 to temp with glazing intermittently. Just trying to nail down a strategy that will let me get it cooked and glazed, on a repeatable basis. 

Any help would be appreciated.


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 26, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> Finding good char siu around where I live is tough (at least w/o an hour plus trip each way). So I've been making it at home. I've been using pork shoulder, a marinade from serious eats, and oven roasting. It is good enough for me, but I know I could always do it better.
> 
> The three things that I wrestle with are:
> 
> ...



badass!!

i regret i didnt get my stepdad to hook me up with his secrets before he passed. gone forever!! (plus his drunken chicken )

no help. i'll watch this thread. right now ,i just road trip to Oakland.


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## Mucho Bocho (Feb 26, 2018)

You can get the flavor right but authentic char sui needs to be cooked vertically hanging from hooks cooked in a very humid environment. Its a tuffie


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## ynot1985 (Feb 26, 2018)

grew up eating this since I was a kid in hk.. make sure it's fatty... lean char siu is just plain awful


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## erickso1 (Feb 26, 2018)

I know about the hooks and the vertical oven. Just not going to happen as a home cook at this point. 

At this point a chunk of pork butt, that tastes good, is properly fatty, and I can pair with something like golden beets makes me happy. 

I would never do pork tenderloin (or loin). Just to lean. 

And Ive made my own pickled carrots and daikon, but proper French bread is hard to come by down here. I can get the cilantro, jalapeño and kewpie, no problem, but the bread is an issue, hence no Bahn mi.


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## gic (Feb 26, 2018)

I made this, came out pretty well I thought

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/char-siu-tender-cantonese-style-barbecued-pork


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## donhoang14 (Feb 27, 2018)

This should be handy for you

https://youtu.be/BRiJsTjJWbo


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 27, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> I know about the hooks and the vertical oven. Just not going to happen as a home cook at this point.
> 
> At this point a chunk of pork butt, that tastes good, is properly fatty, and I can pair with something like golden beets makes me happy.
> 
> ...



i have the hooks. my friend made an offset box oven out of a clean 55 gallon drum. if he didnt live so far, i would love to try to use it for CharSui. he in the south bay san francisco, and i am north bay..he may as well be across the country with our traffic situation.

and you lost me..you're making the pork for BahnMi sandwiches? and you live in austin? there is no good light crusty bread available in austin? that is my favorite sandwich. (second is a Cubano)


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## erickso1 (Feb 27, 2018)

Thanks guys. Donhoang, I've actually watched that video before. Watching it again made a couple things click, especially when breaking down the pork and what pieces to use and how to prepare them for roasting. Will post an update after roasting tonight.


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## erickso1 (Feb 27, 2018)

Boom, I'm making the pork because it's amazing. 

I was just talking through my uses of it and how I like to consume it. We used to have a trailer close by that made Bahn Mi with Char Siu in it, which I would get frequently. They moved into a brick and mortar then went out of business. The closest option for me is in north Austin which doesn't really work for me living in south Austin. So I've learned how to make all the components of the bahn mi. The missing component though is the good bread. They just don't do it right at the grocery stores. So I've moved on to having the pork with rice and golden beets, which on it's own is very satisfying.


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 27, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> Boom, I'm making the pork because it's amazing.
> 
> I was just talking through my uses of it and how I like to consume it. We used to have a trailer close by that made Bahn Mi with Char Siu in it, which I would get frequently. They moved into a brick and mortar then went out of business. The closest option for me is in north Austin which doesn't really work for me living in south Austin. So I've learned how to make all the components of the bahn mi. The missing component though is the good bread. They just don't do it right at the grocery stores. So I've moved on to having the pork with rice and golden beets, which on it's own is very satisfying.



oh i get it!!

my body physique is sponsored by CharSiu!!


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## 9mmbhp (Feb 27, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> The missing component though is the good bread. They just don't do it right at the grocery stores.



Try mexican bollilo or telera rolls. They're not as crusty as a vietnamese-style baguette but pretty close. Shouldn't be too hard to find a good mexican bakery in Austin.

Andrea Nguyen has a baguette recipe in her bahn mi recipe book, some discussion here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/43586/vietnamese-baguette-banh-mi-recipe-question

Andrea's thoughts on bread options: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2014/09/banh-mi-bread-buying-tips.html

Another make-at-home possibility would be steamed buns -- a/k/a 'peking duck' or momofuku buns -- although the end result would not be a sandwich, more like a chinese taco: https://food52.com/recipes/28063-momofuku-s-pork-buns

Pork belly char siu is pretty good too -- made siu yook once and did half the belly with a char siu marinade. Used it in fried rice and an awesome batch of char siu bao.


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## erickso1 (Feb 28, 2018)

Baked at 300 on a raised rack. Took about an hour. Then glazed. Was getting late so I didn't get a chance to turn the broiler on. Sliced some and put it on some rice. Taste is great as usual (at least to me). 

Hoison, honey, reg soy, sherry, 5 spice a tsp of oyster and a spoon full of sambal oelek (didn't have any other pepper product around). 48 hour marinade. 

Next time I'd like to use dark soy, and maybe some molasses. More importantly I need to work on my finishing glazing under the broiler. I'm also going to break down my pork like the video linked above. Create thinner strips.


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 28, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> Baked at 300 on a raised rack. Took about an hour. Then glazed. Was getting late so I didn't get a chance to turn the broiler on. Sliced some and put it on some rice. Taste is great as usual (at least to me).
> 
> Hoison, honey, reg soy, sherry, 5 spice a tsp of oyster and a spoon full of sambal oelek (didn't have any other pepper product around). 48 hour marinade.
> 
> ...



that looks GREAT!!!

man, i am gonna try that. you have any quantities? (please)


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## Jovidah (Mar 1, 2018)

Sambal? I thought Char Siu was Chinese? All versions of Char Siu I ever saw were rather sweet, not hot...and did not involve any sambal.


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## IndoorOutdoorCook (Mar 1, 2018)

A key ingredient you are missing is red fermented bean curd. That's the color. My marinade is red bean curd, light soy, dark soy, 5 spice, and honey.

For that hook hanging part... I cook on a pit barrel cooker. Meat hooks on rebar, smokes around 285F.


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## erickso1 (Mar 1, 2018)

Jovidah said:


> Sambal? I thought Char Siu was Chinese? All versions of Char Siu I ever saw were rather sweet, not hot...and did not involve any sambal.



I misspoke on the pepper. It was Vietnamese chili garlic sauce. I like heat and thought I'd give it a try. Didn't do much. 

Boom, here is the marinade. From Serious Eats.

1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

I've since added about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of oyster sauce, and last time I added a teaspoon of garlic chili sauce.

I used a 2.5 lbs boneless pork but. 

I/O Cook, I've read about the bean curd. I need to look more for it at my grocery store. I've also contemplated using my smoker to cook them in, but dang is the oven easy. I've also read of people hanging them on hooks within their oven. Before I do that I need to get in there and see what I would hang them from.


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## Mucho Bocho (Mar 1, 2018)

Eric, Looks respectable. Looks like your initial cook came out well.

Have you ever had authentic (grain of salt) Char Sui? If you have, you know that the texture is as important as the flavor. This serious eats is a solid American grocery store recipe. Many would be satisfied, but the curious mind and experienced pallet asks, can it be better. Can I achieve the textures and test of authenticity.

I've tinkered, a bit. Actually have a rig I set up I can put in my Kamato grill to be able to hang the pork. I've added rose water and MSG into my recipe. I'm going to see some Maltose. It comes out good, some would say great, I'd say decent, but I can buy better for $10.99 LBS at The Grand Asia, plus I get to choose the piece and they chop it right in front of me. CHOP CHOP CHOP

Cheer's your char Sui journey.


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## erickso1 (Mar 1, 2018)

Mucho : I grew up in SE Washington. When I was a kid the only chinese bbq pork I had was from the Chinese Gardens in Pasco Washington. It was never anything I cared to find again once I left the area.



I didn't have realish bbq pork until I arrived in Austin. We got it from Din Ho up in north Austin. It was amazing. It's just to long a haul to get on a regular basis, which led to making it on my own. 




I'm planning on improving the recipe over time. I'm going to try the rose water and sugar rub before marinating, I'm going to find some maltose, and work on getting the meat broken down correctly. It will be a work in progress.


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## Mucho Bocho (Mar 1, 2018)

Eric, Love it. I grew up in New England and that first shot above is what we ate too. Remember how dry it was. We used to cut them into block and stack them. of course this always accompanied the poo poo platter with the flaming sterno in the middle. What ever happened to the Poo Poo platter anyway.


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## Jovidah (Mar 1, 2018)

I guess I never realized how lucky I am here in the Netherlands. Pretty much every town or city has at least one or multiple Chinese-Indian restaurants and good Cha Siu is pretty much a standard on the menu (and one of my favorites). The fermented red bean part also came up in on my usual 'actual authentic recipes' site I usually check for anything Asian. Don't you have something like azian supermarkets where you can buy all that sort of stuff? Regular supermarkets will always have a very limited selection, missing rare but key ingredients that are crucial for the authentic flavour.


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## StonedEdge (Mar 1, 2018)

Love this thread, will try some pork shoulder done char siu style and probably try my hand at making some Vietnamese style buns soon. My kind of meal! High calorie, meat-centric and messy.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 1, 2018)

StonedEdge said:


> Love this thread, will try some pork shoulder done char siu style and probably try my hand at making some Vietnamese style buns soon. My kind of meal! High calorie, meat-centric and messy.



i am going to try it this weekend.

i like making a version of "chinese burger" (it's the name we gave it as very young kids). i now know its called a "Gwa boa"..


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## DitmasPork (Mar 1, 2018)

With char siu there're are many variations! NYC char siu is different than Hawaii's char siu. I've had very tasty home cooked versions that use ketchup, made by my Chinese aunt and grandmothers. There's no "authentic" recipe.

Char siu literally means "fork burn roast," just make sure you have enough sugar in the marinade to caramelize/burn.

Pork butt and belly are good choices. For the past few years I've been using pork neck meatvery flavorful, quite dense, nicely marbled.

For my last few batches an unconventional*char siu pork*marinade (enough for 3.5 to 5 lbs. of meat. Great with pork or chicken): 3 tbsp. hoisin sauce; 3 tbsp. oyster sauce; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 2 cubes fu-chung fermented red bean curd, plus 2 tsp. liquid from jar; 1 shot glass bourbon; 6 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tbsp. ginger, chopped; 1 tsp. sand ginger (galangal powder); 2 tbsp. honey; 2 tbsp. sugar; 1 tsp. smoked paprika; 1.5 tsp. five spice powder; 1 tbsp. Sriracha; 2 tbsp. sesame oil; 0.5 tsp. chili flakes; 0.5 tsp. black pepper./// Reserved marinade strained, brought to boil, cooled, to occasionally baste pork./// Roast at 375f, turning a few times, for about 45 minutesor until slightly charred.


The ingredients you have in yours are finesherry, soy, honey, five spice, hoison. Have you tried Shao Xing rice wine instead of sherry? Also, consider red fermented beancurd.


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## erickso1 (Mar 1, 2018)

I'll check our store for Shao Xing and red fermented bean curd. They have a pretty robust international section, so maybe. I'll also ask the butchers about pork neck. I've seen it used in others recipes, but I've never picked any up.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 1, 2018)

Shao Xing wine is that super perfumed, herbally bottle right? i have lots of it. i rarely use it. it is so heavy herb loaded. it smells like an old Chinese grandma arthritis rub.


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## DitmasPork (Mar 1, 2018)

boomchakabowwow said:


> Shao Xing wine is that super perfumed, herbally bottle right? i have lots of it. i rarely use it. it is so heavy herb loaded. it smells like an old Chinese grandma arthritis rub.








It's the bottle second from left, not perfumyyou're probably thinking of Mei Kuei Lu Chiew, which has rose essence in it. Shoa Xing is closer to Dry Sherry, which is often substituted.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 4, 2018)

About to marinate a version in a few moments. 

Mine wont be red.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 5, 2018)

my wife thinks she put my hooks into the donation box. that woman!!

i am going to go slow and low on my weber propane grill. i am going to try to cantilever hang them off that back raised rack.


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## erickso1 (Mar 5, 2018)

Boom, I had the same idea about hanging them off the raised rack in my gas grill. I didnt get a chance to check clearance yet though so let me know how it goes. Other thought was to hand them on the rotisserie attachment on gas grill.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 5, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> Boom, I had the same idea about hanging them off the raised rack in my gas grill. I didnt get a chance to check clearance yet though so let me know how it goes. Other thought was to hand them on the rotisserie attachment on gas grill.



it works. I just jab my skewer into the top rack. It cantilevers out. 

Im going slow/low. I, worried the sweet marinade will char big time. Hail Mary.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 5, 2018)

Wow so good! It worked. Thanks OP for the inspiration.


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## dmourati (Mar 5, 2018)

Here's what you need to do in terms of trimming:

[video=youtube;yKr8aYhpmz0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKr8aYhpmz0[/video]


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## DitmasPork (Mar 6, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> Boom, I had the same idea about hanging them off the raised rack in my gas grill. I didnt get a chance to check clearance yet though so let me know how it goes. Other thought was to hand them on the rotisserie attachment on gas grill.



I used to use hooks, suspending the char siu strips from the underside of the top rack, with a pan with water under it to catch drippings. 

Now I just do them in a baking pan lined with non-stick foil. 

Wished I had a tandoori oven!


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## erickso1 (Mar 6, 2018)

DitmasPork said:


> I used to use hooks, suspending the char siu strips from the underside of the top rack, with a pan with water under it to catch drippings.
> 
> Now I just do them in a baking pan lined with non-stick foil.
> 
> Wished I had a tandoori oven!



I currently do them on a raised rack on a baking pan lined with non-stick foil too. 

My grocery store just stopped carrying shao xing, and they don't have the red bean paste, so looks like a trip to north Austin is needed. I also didn't get a chance to ask our butcher about pork necks, but those cuts look awesome.


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## DitmasPork (Mar 7, 2018)

erickso1 said:


> I currently do them on a raised rack on a baking pan lined with non-stick foil too.
> 
> My grocery store just stopped carrying shao xing, and they don't have the red bean paste, so looks like a trip to north Austin is needed. I also didn't get a chance to ask our butcher about pork necks, but those cuts look awesome.



Since you're in Austin, I'll bet you that MT Supermarket has pork neck meatalong with fermented red bean cubes and Shao xing! I've not been there but assume it's like any other massive Chinese Supermaketlike the ones in NYC.

Also, one cooking step that many Siu mei vendors and restaurants do with their char siu is dunking or brushing the meat with a maltose dip 10 minutes before it's done cookingdip might be simply composed of maltose, honey, water, sugar; or marinade boiled down a little with maltose. 

Home cooked char siu often eliminates the maltose dip, and just has it (or sugar/honey) in the marinadeit's easier not having that extra step.


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## boomchakabowwow (Mar 8, 2018)

funny. i talked to a chinese lady about Char Sui. she admitted she (since cranking out babies) resorted to the jar marinade.

BUT, she has a high end butcher that reserves pork cheeks for her. she said it in chinese, but i am almost positive that is what she meant. she said the tenderness is rarefied air. unbelievable. ii am gonna touch bases with my butcher, just in case. suss it out.


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## erickso1 (Mar 15, 2018)

We just had a 99 Ranch Market open up in Austin. It's up north, so it would be a haul, but I've got it on my list of things to do. 

https://www.yelp.com/biz/99-ranch-market-austin

They have fermented bean curd their, but how big of a difference does having chunk curd or non chunk curd make?

These are their offerings.
https://www.99ranch.com/asian-preserved-goods/preserved-beancurd


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## erickso1 (Mar 20, 2018)

Made another batch last night. Still coming out pretty good. The triangle shaped muscle that the narrator of the video on page 1 takes out and uses for sweet and sour pork, I actually roast along with the other pieces and slice thin for sandwiches.


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## Ant4d (Apr 28, 2018)

Pork neck or collar is the best. Cut it into even sizes and marinade in hoisin , rice wine , 5 spice ,red food colouring,bean paste and brown sugar.
Place on a rack and roast at 300f,baste and turn every 20 min for about an hour .
Once cooled mix 1 tbls of maltose with 3/4 cup of hot water and dissolve.
Spoon owner pork and let set.


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## boomchakabowwow (May 31, 2020)

Bringing this back up. I have some marinating. 24 hour soak.

salted bean curd cube in the marinate was the biggest game changer. I’m doing a riff, based on the Cookiing w/Mikey guy on YouTube. Tomorrow, I’m gonna cook it in my charcoal Grill. Indirect heat. I’m hoping for great things


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## Tristan (May 31, 2020)

The thought that keeps running through my head is if any one tried using a Pitbarrel cooker to make char siew.
seems the closest device to the authentic roast ovens you would use.


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## boomchakabowwow (May 31, 2020)

Tristan said:


> The thought that keeps running through my head is if any one tried using a Pitbarrel cooker to make char siew.
> seems the closest device to the authentic roast ovens you would use.


Agree. I’m gonna try to hang the chunks inside the grill. I have not figured it out yet.

edit. Not easy to do.


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## Tristan (May 31, 2020)

I meant this one that's right in USA


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## boomchakabowwow (May 31, 2020)

Tristan said:


> I meant this one that's right in USA


I know what you meant. Looks great. My friend made one from a new barrel he got. Way less finished but he cranks out some great meals.


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## tchan001 (May 31, 2020)

From "Grandpa's Kitchen 2" by Steve Lee. I like his recipes as he has quite high standards for his Chinese cooking. If you want to find out more about this book, refer to my post on Please recommend some cookbooks (or websites, YT etc).

Grandpa's Barbecue Pork

*Ingredients*
2 pieces pork shoulder butt
19g Su wood
maltose

*Marinade*
1 tbsp ground bean paste
2 tbsp Hoi Sin sauce
3 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp Su wood infusion
1/2 cube fermented tarocurd
1 cube fermented beancurd
2 tbsp light soy sauces
3 tbsp Chinese rose wine
2 tbsp sesame paste
2 tbsp grated garlic
1 tsp fermented black beans (finely chopped)

Method
1. Boil 1 cup of water in a pot. Add Su wood and cook until the water turns red. Decant the infusion and let cool.
2. Make a few cuts on the pork without cutting all the way through.
3. Mix the marinade well. Pour over the pork and rub evenly with your hands. Marinate for 5 to 6 hours.
4. Preheat an oven to 225 °C. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and brush oil thinly on it. Put the pork in the baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. Warm up the maltose over a pot of simmering water. Brush the maltose evenly over the pork. Bake the pork for 5 more minutes. Let cool slightly. Slice and serve.

*Grandpa's Tips*
-- If you want your barbecue pork to be fatty, just tell the butcher you want fatty shoulder butt cut.
-- You can get Su wood from Chinese herbal stores. It is a natural red colouring.

--- End of recipe from book ---

*My own notes to the recipe above.*
Su wood *蘇木 *is also known as Sappan wood. I found a listing on Amazon with the picture (Sappan Wood).
Fermented tarocurd is also known as fermented red bean curd.
The Chinese rose wine would be Mei Gui Lu.
For a more gourmet version, you'd probably use Iberico pork butt.

--------------------

For an even more gourmet version of char siu made with iberico pork, refer to this video but it doesn't tell you the exact amounts or even what all 18 ingredients are.


If you are looking to add the dry mandarin skin as shown in the video, it's probably not just any regular dried mandarin skin (chenpi *陳皮*). The best quality chenpi is made from the sun-dried ripe peels of tangerines from Xinhui District in China. It's aged at least 3 years but the most fragrant in my opinion is aged around 12-15 years (fruity fragrance). If you can find chenpi aged 5 to 8 years, that's also good stuff. The more aged, the more rare and costly. The really old stuff has a medicinal quality which helps with coughs. I have some chenpi aged 50 years from a vendor in Hong Kong (very expensive). The fragrant is very different as it gains a more earthy rather than fruity smell. Anyways, I'm not an expert on chenpi but I enjoy this ingredient in Chinese cooking.


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## Tristan (Jun 1, 2020)

boomchakabowwow said:


> I know what you meant. Looks great. My friend made one from a new barrel he got. Way less finished but he cranks out some great meals.


Ok, I was reacting to the "not easy to do" part, and was just wondering if you thought I meant go build a home made smoker


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## DitmasPork (Jun 1, 2020)

I'm a char siew fanatic. What fascinates me is the immense range of char siew, reflecting regional preferences. Impossible to define a right way, or 'authentic' char siew recipe—so long as it tastes good to cook and eater.

In the many recipes for the sweet and savory 'fork roasted' meat, cooking methods and ingredients vary widely. Chinese diaspora resulted in char siew evolving, to reflect local preferences and available ingredients. Non-Chinese ingredients such as ketchup, dry sherry, even Coca-Cola all fine for legit char siew, Chinese cooking sensibilities resourceful in adapting any ingredient to achichieve the desired balance of taste elements. Hoisin popular in the south; Tianmian sauce (sweet bean sauce) not uncommon in the north.

Char siew I grew up eating in Hawaii was always a vivid red from food coloring.

'Char siew' is also both verb and noun—term can mean any protein cooked with a'char siew' seasonings. Indonesian 'chasio' is often made with duck, which makes sense in the predominantly Muslim country; in Hawaii it's not hard to find char siu turkey tails or char siu sausages.

Roasting, braising and wok frying are all common methods for making char siu. Traditional Chinese home kitchens usually didn't have ovens. Some home cooks roast char siew by having the marinated pork strips suspended by meat hooks over a baking pan with some water. In my kitchen it's always baked on Reynold's non-stick foil, the non-stick foil is a godsend for char siew since sugars burn and would be a nightmare on my baking dish.

My personal favorite pork cuts for char siew, in order of preference are pork neck meat, Boston butt, picnic shoulder. If craving fat I' go with pork belly.

Many char siew recipes get their glossiness from a post-roast maltose or honey dip. I personally don't like working with maltose, and too lazy to do a dip.

IMO homemade five spice is magic with char siew, the store bought stuff often flat tasting.

One ingredient that I'm a huge fan of is red fermented bean curd, gives char siu an awesome umami boost and a little funkiness.

For this batch, I was in lockdown, Chinese markets were closed, so I used the sweet, thick, molasses-like Indonesian soy sauce called kecap manis which worked nicely.

Also, thought I'd through in a pic of baked char siew bao I made with Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuit dough. I love making a good sized batch of char siew to do stuff with.


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## Michi (Jun 1, 2020)

DitmasPork said:


> I love making a good sized batch of char siew to do stuff with.


Beautiful images, thank you!

I've made Char Siu a few times, and it came out nice, but lacked complexity and interest. I forget the exact recipe; Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and five spice were part of it. There may have been one or two other ingredients. At any rate, it looked good and tasted nice, but not really interesting.

Would you mind sharing your recipe and preparation technique?


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## boomchakabowwow (Jun 1, 2020)

the dude is missing honey


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## erickso1 (Jun 1, 2020)

Tristan said:


> Ok, I was reacting to the "not easy to do" part, and was just wondering if you thought I meant go build a home made smoker


I've got a Weber Smokey Mountain which would work. Just need to drag it out and give it a whirl.


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## DitmasPork (Jun 1, 2020)

Michi said:


> Beautiful images, thank you!
> 
> I've made Char Siu a few times, and it came out nice, but lacked complexity and interest. I forget the exact recipe; Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and five spice were part of it. There may have been one or two other ingredients. At any rate, it looked good and tasted nice, but not really interesting.
> 
> Would you mind sharing your recipe and preparation technique?



Please note that this was 'shelter in place cooking,' I had to make do without some ingredients that I usually use, like hoisin. With booze I've used whatever I happen to have, like shaoxing, dry sherry, bourbon, etc. Also, I have a really crappy oven, which probably runs on the hot side.

Usually I'll put together a marinade by taste, lately I've started notating.

For this batch of char siew. 
3 lbs of pork
Marinade:
0.25 c soy sauce; 0.25 c oyster sauce; 3 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp recap manis; 2 cubes red fermented bean curd; 3 tbsp cognac; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 2.5 tsp five spice; 1 tsp white pepper; 1 stalk scallion, chopped; 2 fried chile de árbol, crumbled (optional, I rarely use chilies in char siew, but tossed these in because they were on hand). 

Roasted at 350f for about 40 minutes on non-stick foil, basted with reserved marinade about 15 minutes before done.


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## erickso1 (Jun 1, 2020)

DitmasPork said:


> Please note that this was 'shelter in place cooking,' I had to make do without some ingredients that I usually use, like hoisin. With booze I've used whatever I happen to have, like shaoxing, dry sherry, bourbon, etc. Also, I have a really crappy oven, which probably runs on the hot side.
> 
> Usually I'll put together a marinade by taste, lately I've started notating.
> 
> ...



Are you still able to get ahold of pork neck?


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## DitmasPork (Jun 1, 2020)

erickso1 said:


> Are you still able to get ahold of pork neck?



Yesterday I ventured down to my local Chinatown, to see if markets had reopened. Low and behold, they had just opened up! Meat section looked good, but I only looked at the beef section. I'm assuming they'll have it.


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## boomchakabowwow (Jun 1, 2020)

It’s smelling crazy good.

my neighbors are circling


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## DitmasPork (Jun 1, 2020)

boomchakabowwow said:


> It’s smelling crazy good.
> 
> my neighbors are circling
> 
> View attachment 82474


That looks so good. I wish I had a yard.


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## Jeezuinn (Jun 15, 2020)

Char siew is 1 of my absolute favourite food. Its popularity worldwide has also resulted in tons of different intepretations on the recipe.

Pork shoulder is commonly used,but here in Singapore some of us like to use this less known cut called "不见天",which translates into "never sees the sky" because it is basically the pig's armpit area around the front legs. Very nice fat layer for some melt in the mouth goodness.

Maltose is also traditionally use,as opposed to honey. They sound the same in cantonese,so it might have gotten lost in translation. Honey is an easier to handle and purchase option though,and with similar results.

Traditionally they are roasted in a very high heat charcoal oven,but for cooking at home there are many ways to go about it. My aunt loves to braise it in the marinade first,and finish off in the oven. Personally i like to cook at a lower heat in the oven,then crank up to char the sticky glaze.

My go to recipe is this:

500g of pork,cut into thick strips.
50g sugar
1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp hoison sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 cube fermented red beancurd
2 tbsp maltose or honey

1. Prick the meat lightly. Mix everything together and marinade. Preferably overnight.

2. Heat oven to 150 celsius. Place pork strips over an oiled wire rack,and place over a foil lined tray(makes cleaning wayyyyyy easier). Add 1/2 cup of water in the tray,cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Remove foil and bake another 20 mins

3. Reduce the marinade into a thick glaze. Change the oven mode to grill 250 celsius, glaze the charsiew and roast till your preferred char state.


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## Adrian Chan (Jul 18, 2020)

Oh a thread that I've found where I can contribute to!
I'm from Hong Kong and live in a part of the UK where you simply won't get any half edible chinese food. Cha siu, is nearly always in my freezer uncooked. I usually just marinade it in a bag with the stuff, and either cook it after 24-48 hours, or if I've got too much pork (shoulder) I'll put it into the freezer for until I want to eat it, which can be from weeks to months. 

The marinade I use is made up of:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 cube of red beancurd + some of the liquid
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of honey
1-2 tablespoon of spirit - Mei Kwei Lo (玫瑰露)aka rose spirit is preferred. Very difficult to get in the UK, but might be easier elsewhere. I usually smuggle some from home. If you can't get that, I swap it with vodka. Shaoxing doesn't give the same kind of taste to the marinade and spirits really bring out the flavour.
some garlic powder

All I do is marinade overnight, and line a pyrex dish with tin foil. Cook at 180 degrees, turning every 10 minutes or so, and everytime you turn it, you baste it with the juices / sauce. Keep going until it's looking red and cooked then decant all the liquid into a small pan and save for later.
Then just brush with honey, and then put it back into the oven but at full heat, char it to your hearts desire.

The liquid you collect is the key to char siu sauce to go with the rice at the shops. If you water it down with 4 parts of water, add a little bit of dark soy sauce and light soy sauce for colour and saltiness, you'll have the same sauce as the shop.

You can swap the honey for maltose, but I can't get hold of it and so far I've not failed. 

In effect, every shop does something different, some sell better, some worse


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## parbaked (Jul 18, 2020)

Nice...now I need your recipe for siu yuk please!


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## erickso1 (Jul 18, 2020)

Would love to see a picture next time. Now I want some.


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## Adrian Chan (Jul 18, 2020)

I found a picture. How about that.. I'm sure I have a few more somewhere...


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## erickso1 (Jul 20, 2020)

We've talked a bit about finding the best method of cooking this stuff on a rack, but I just ran across two things that might work well on a grill/smoker or maybe even oven. 

located here.


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