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Posts Tagged ‘Char siu pork’

Char Siu Pork

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 20 September 2025| 5 Comments »

A Chinese classic that couldn’t be easier to master, this char siu pork delivers glossy, caramelized perfection. Sweet, smoky and full of flavour, it’s a guaranteed barbecue winner! Don’t skip the crisp, garlicky pak choi on the side – it’s the fresh balance that really makes this dish.

Wine suggestion: We made this dish during Grenache Month and opened what turned out to be a fantastic pairing: Edetaria’s via Edetana Red , a red blend from Terra Alta, Catalonia, made with Garnatxa Fina and Garnatxa Peluda—two local Garnacha clones known for their balance of freshness and complexity. The wine’s soft spice, red fruit, and smooth texture echoed the sweet-savory glaze of the char siu pork beautifully. Its vibrant acidity brought out the juiciness in the meat, while the subtle earthy and herbal notes in the wine complemented the five-spice and caramelized edges of the pork. If you’re looking for a bottle that can handle bold flavors while adding its own depth, this one’s a winner.

Char Siu Pork – serves 4

  • 2 pork tenderloin fillets, trimmed

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
  • 2.5cm piece of ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp runny honey
  • 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
  • ½ tsp white pepper

FOR THE PAK CHOI:

  • 4 pak choi, halved lengthways
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp white pepper

To make the marinade, heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil, honey, sugar, hoisin, oyster and soy sauces, 5-spice powder and pepper. Mix well and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Put the pork into a large dish. Add the sauce and massage well so it is really well coated. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least a couple of hours or ideally overnight.

Get your barbecue ready to cook on over direct heat and indirect heat.

Lay the pak choi, cut side up, on a tray. Mix the garlic, soy, olive oil and white pepper together in a small bowl, then spoon over the pak choi.

Remove the pork from the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade left in the dish. Put the pork over the hottest part of the barbecue and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning ofetn and basting with the marinade.

When the pork is cooked, transfer to a tray and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer the pak choi to the barbecue over indirect heat – with the stems towards the direct heat as they take longer to cook. Cook, turning often and basting with the soy marinade for a few minutes or until charred and tender. Spray with a little water as it cooks to stop it from drying out.

Slice the pork and serve on a platter with the pak choi.

(Original recipe from The BBQ Book by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury: Absolute, 2025.)

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Char Siu Pork with a Chilli, Coriander & Mint Salad

Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 22 November 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is really two separate recipes but they go so well together that we strongly suggest making both. As this is essentially a dry dish, rice on the side is good but the fresh salad really makes it.

Wine Suggestion: We think this goes really well with a velvety Pinot Noir like Andre Dezat’s Sancerre Rouge, or Cline’s Sonoma Coast Pinot. The juicy fruit and lightness of expression plays wonderfully with the layers of spice, sourness, sweetness and charred flavours these dishes offer without overwhelming them, and without too many dry tannins which could fight the dish.

Char siu pork with a chilli, coriander & mint salad – serves 4

  • 2 pork fillets (tenderloins), trimmed of fat and sinew

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 4 tbsp clear honey
  • 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 4 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
  • 4 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

FOR THE CHILLI, CORIANDER & MINT SALAD:

  • ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, halved lengthways, sliced, then finely chopped
  • 1 cm piece of root ginger, peeled and grated
  • ½ lime, juiced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½-1 tsp palm or caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 cos lettuce, cut into thick strips
  • ¼ cucumber, seeds scooped out and discarded and sliced on the diagonal
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • a large handful of coriander leaves
  • a large handful of mint leaves

First make the marinade for the pork. Put the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Put the pork fillets into a large container with half the cooled marinade, keep the rest for cooking the pork. Rub the marinade into the pork and leave for at least 2-3 hours, or ideally overnight, in the fridge.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 230C/Gas 8.

Remove the pork from the marinade (don’t throw the marinade away) and place them on a wire rack over a foil-lined roasting tray.

Roast the pork in the hot oven for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 190C/Gas 5. Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, turning and basting with the reserved mainade every 5 minutes, until cooked. You can finish the pork on a hot barbecue for the last 5 minutes of cooking to get a nice barbecue flavour or under a hot grill.

Leave the pork to rest for 5 minutes, before slicing.

To make the salad, put 1 tbsp of the lime juice into a small bowl with the soy sauce, sugar and oil. Add the chilli, garlic, lemongrass and ginger and whisk to combine. Taste and add more lime or sugar if needed.

Put the lettuce, cucumber, scallions, coriander and mint in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Serve immediately with the sliced pork and some steamed rice.

(Original recipe from Leiths How to Cook by Claire MacDonald & Jenny Stringer, Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2013.)

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