Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork shoulder or pork tenderloin, cut into 2" thick strips

Marinade

• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp five-spice powder (→ foundation)
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• Red food coloring (optional — traditional, not required)

Glaze

• 2 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp reserved marinade

Method

1. Marinate: Combine all marinade ingredients. Coat pork strips. Refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.
2. Roast: Place pork on a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan (catches drips). Roast 425°F for 15 min. Flip, brush with glaze. Roast 10 min. Flip again, brush with more glaze. Roast 5–10 min more until edges are caramelized and charred, internal 145°F.
3. Rest 10 min. Slice against the grain.
4. Serve over steamed rice with sautéed bok choy, or in bao buns, or chopped into fried rice.

What You're Practicing

• Marinade as flavor builder: hoisin + soy + honey + five-spice = the classic char siu profile
• Glazing in stages: multiple applications build layers of caramelized, lacquered crust
• High-heat roasting on a rack for air circulation and even browning
• Five-spice powder from foundations applied to a specific regional dish