One of the most popular pig dishes in Chinese/Cantonese cuisine and one of the most frequently ordered dishes in restaurants are sticky Chinese barbecue pork belly (char siu).
My hubby is to blame for my addiction to sticky Chinese barbecue pork belly. He introduced me to Char Siu when we first met because he used to live in Hong Kong, and it was love at first taste (with the pork).
We typically go to a well-known Yum Cha restaurant in Melbourne on New Year’s Eve and order serve after a serve, Char Siu. But as life would have it, it’s off this year.
I now have to carry Char Siu into my home because it was booked out so early (or I may have forgotten until the last minute).
Translated as “fork burn/roast,” char siu refers to the traditional procedure, which involves skewering food with long forks and barbecuing it over a fire.
Chinese Sticky BBQ Pork Belly
sticky Chinese barbecue pork belly(Pinterest)Well. Both of those things I don’t have, and I don’t want to cause a fire in my home. However, I’ve thought of a safe technique to do this in your homes without the need for any fire extinguishers.
The upsides are that we can eat three times as much as we usually can and that I can give you the recipe.
I succeeded after working up a sweat, scowling, dumping ingredients into a bowl, and tasting as I went to try and mimic the classic and genuine restaurant-quality Char Siu sauce.
It was a clear Hallelujah and Amen moment. You may introduce a mouthwateringly sticky Chinese pork recipe into your kitchens after one (well, more like four) tests and changes!
For a delicious, amazing experience, use lean pork belly (or spare) ribs, pork shoulder, or whatever pig fillet you want. I won’t give you any instructions other than to prepare it with a pig belly.
For those who like to serve this up with extra sauce, I’ve included a separate glaze recipe on the side. Considering…hey…extra sauce.
The crispy and char-grilled exterior edges we love so much are guaranteed with oven grilling or broiling, while the interior of the pig is guaranteed to be soft, juicy, and moist.
This Char Siu dish is easy to make with basic materials that you probably already have in your kitchen cabinets! And the wait was well worth it as I hung off the oven door and smelled the sweet, sticky aromas filling the kitchen.
Ring in the new year in style by spooning extra Char Siu sauce over steamed rice or vegetables. If you don’t like pork, substitute chicken thighs instead. Yes. I did that. Or perhaps you’ll like this straightforward chicken teriyaki stir fry.
sticky Chinese barbecue pork belly
One of the most popular Chinese or Cantonese cuisines and one of the most frequently ordered dishes in restaurants is char siu (or Chinese BBQ pork).
This Char Siu dish is easy to make with basic materials that you probably already have in your kitchen cabinets!
PREP:
10 MINS
COOK:
45 MINS
TOTAL:
55 MINS
SERVES:
6
PEOPLE
INGREDIENTS
sticky Chinese barbecue pork belly (Pinterest)- Hoisin sauce, 1/3 cup
- 30 ml of soy sauce
- Chinese Shaoxing wine, two tablespoons (rice vinegar or a dry sherry can be used instead)
- 2 tablespoon honey
- Brown sugar, 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
- Red food coloring, 3/4 teaspoon (optional for that beautiful red color)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of powdered Chinese five spice
- 6 spare ribs or pork belly
- 1 shallot, to garnish
Optional Additional Glaze
- Hoisin sauce, 1/4 cup
- Soy sauce, 1/4 cup
- 1/fourth cup Chinese wine (Shaoxing — or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- Brown sugar, 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon of garlic mince
- 1/8 teaspoon of powdered Chinese five spice
- 14 teaspoon food coloring in red
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a shallow bowl, mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, wine, honey, sugar, garlic, coloring (if using), and spice powder. To blend, whisk thoroughly. Half of the sauce should be poured into a jug and set aside. The leftover sauce should be added to the bowl containing the pork. For optimum results, rotate to evenly cover, marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours, or cover and chill overnight.
- After marinating, preheat the oven to medium heat (176°C | 350°F) grill or broil settings. Remove pork from the marinade and discard it. Aluminum foil or baking/parchment paper should be used to line a baking pan. Put the pork on the grill or the broiler and cook it for 30 minutes on one side, basting it twice or three times with the marinade you saved. While grilling or broiling, rotate with tongs and baste twice more with the marinade.
- Take out of the oven, then let cool.
- If you would like more glaze, mix everything for the additional glaze in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until the sauce is thick (keep your eye on it as it can burn easily if the heat is too high). Remove from heat and give it a little time to cool.
- To serve, slice the pork into thick pieces. With the additional glaze, serve over steamed rice and/or veggies.