Char Siu Pork (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Char Siu has to be one of my favourite ways to enjoy a pork dish. I'm not a big fan of pork in general, for me it needs lots of added flavour and has to be cooked to perfection.

Char Siu is a popular BBQ pork dish is Chinese restaurants and over the years I've tasted this is many restaurants. Some good and some should simply not be on the menu.

Just look around the internet and you'll find varying recipes in addition to varying cooking methods.

The method I insist on provides you with a delicious, moist and perfectly cooked Char Siu.

Don't just take my word for it. Try this recipe and follow the cooking method exactly and you won't be disappointed.

Char Siu Pork (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Approx 750g pork tenderloin

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine, sake or dry sherry

4 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp runny honey

1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp garlic powder

dash red food colouring (optional, but gives an authentic & beautiful colour

Combine all marinade ingredients and put into a plastic freezer type bag

Clean pork tenderloin by removing sinews etc, prick all over with a metal skewer and add pork to marinade in bag. Tie knot in top and massage marinade well into pork.

Leave in fridge overnight, massaging occasionally

Preheat oven to 200c (conventional). Half fill a deep roasting tin with water and place a wire rack on top.

Remove pork from marinate (reserve marinate and set aside for later) and place on wire rack over the water.

Roast for 15 minutes, remove and baste with marinate. Lower oven temperature to 180c then roast a further 10 minutes.

Remove and baste with honey/water mixture. Roast a further 10 minutes

Let it rest and slice thinly

Meanwhile, pour marinade into a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil, simmer 2 minutes and taste.  I usually add honey or sugar.  One adjusted to your liking serve with pork