Best for: The red-edged roast pork hanging in every Cantonese window.
Char siu is the Cantonese barbecue-shop classic: strips of pork shoulder marinated sweet and savory, roasted until lacquered, with the edges deliberately charred. On a grill, indirect heat does the roasting and a final pass over the coals does the charring. Save the extra marinade — it becomes the glaze, and the glaze is the dish.
Grill: Two zones, indirect medium heat; 375°F, with a hot direct zone for finishing. Equipment: Grill, tongs, small saucepan, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Marinate: 8 hours. Rest: 15 minutes. Total: 9 hours 15 minutes.
Pork and marinade
- 2 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch-wide strips
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey, plus 2 tablespoons for the glaze
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 cube red fermented bean curd, mashed (optional, for the traditional red tint)
Directions
Whisk the hoisin, soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the honey, Shaoxing wine, sugar, five-spice, garlic, sesame oil, and the bean curd, if using. Coat the pork strips, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
Lift the pork from the marinade and let the excess drip off. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, and simmer for 3 minutes into a glaze; set aside.
Set up a two-zone grill and heat the indirect zone to 375°F. Lay the pork strips on the indirect side, close the lid, and roast for 30 minutes, turning once.
Brush the pork with the glaze and roast for 10 minutes more, turning and glazing once more, until the surface is lacquered.
Move the pork over the direct zone for 3–5 minutes, turning often, until the edges char and the pork registers 145°F.
Rest for 15 minutes, then slice against the grain. Serve with any remaining warm glaze and the pan juices.
Grilling tip: The charred edges are not an accident to avoid — char siu means the sugar in the glaze is supposed to catch at the corners.
