Main dish of China

I chose pork loin for my char siu, because it’s economical, produces good results, and is not too fatty. If you’re cooking for a crowd, you can get a whole boneless pork loin from Costco. It cost me just 17 dollars for a 7-pound piece, which is enough for 12 servings.

2. Create a marinade that is rich and well-balanced in flavor

There are many ways to make a char siu marinade. But you need to remember, the foundation of a good char siu marinade is a high quality soy sauce. In this recipe, I chose Kikkoman all-purpose soy sauce. Kikkoman soy sauce is traditionally brewed and a versatile flavor enhancer. Like a fine wine, Kikkoman Soy Sauce is aged for several months to develop its characteristic rich, yet mellow flavor, appetizing aroma, and distinctive reddish-brown color. It’s the perfect soy sauce to use in the char siu recipe.

You can easily find Kikkoman soy sauce at lots of supermarkets, such as Walmart and Target. If you are not sure whether there is a supermarket that carries the soy sauce, you can use this product locator to find the closest store.

3. Roast the pork properly

You need to roast the pork at high heat and constantly baste it with marinade to create the glossy look, crispy crust, and juicy texture.

A reliable roasting method will create a sticky and perfectly charred surface without overcooking the pork. After many trials and experiments, I found that roasting the pork under boiler creates the best results (it’s very close to that of char siu pork cooked on the grill).

It requires a bit more flipping and supervision, but generates a stickier surface while keeping the pork moist inside. The total roasting time is only 20 to 25 minutes.

How to serve char siu

Chinese BBQ char siu can be served warm or cold. The just-out-of-the-oven char siu will be tender and moist. It will be a great main course to serve over some steamed rice with simple veggie dishes. On the other hand, the pork will become even more flavorful if you let it sit overnight. The texture will toughen up, and create this nice crunchy mouthfeel with a sticky coating.

I like to roast a big batch of char siu on the weekend and use it to cook all sorts of dishes during the week. You can serve cold sliced char siu as an appetizer. You can also use it as a topping for ramen noodles. Or use it as filling in dim sum. Or use it as an ingredient in lo mein, fried rice and fried noodles.

This marinade can be used with chicken, too. You can use the same method to marinate and cook bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. To do this, bake at 300 F, skin side down for 40 minutes. Flip and continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the thickest part of the biggest thigh registers 165 degrees F (74 C). Turn on broiler. Cook until the surface turns crispy.

Ready to cook char siu pork to celebrate Chinese New Year? Let’s start cooking!

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Chinese BBQ Char Siu

Author: Maggie Zhu

Recipe type: Main, Appetizer

Cuisine: Chinese

• 2 pounds boneless pork loin

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry (or Japanese sake, or Shaoxing wine)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic
• (Optional) 10 drops red food coloring