Cantonese char siu (barbecue pork)

Method

1. 01

   Mix and reserve the basting sauce

   Mash 20 g red fermented bean curd, 45 g hoisin, 30 g honey, 30 g maltose, 30 ml soy sauce, 15 ml Shaoxing wine, 2 g five-spice, 15 g garlic, 1 g white pepper, and 5 ml sesame oil. Before it touches raw pork, transfer exactly 30 ml to a clean covered bowl and refrigerate it; keep the separate 15 g final honey aside.

   

2. 02

   Marinate and discard the used sauce

   Coat 900 g pork shoulder strips in the remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 8–24 hours; turn once halfway. The displayed prep time uses the 8-hour minimum. Discard every drop of marinade that touched the raw pork, retaining only the clean 30 ml reserved for basting.

   

3. 03

   Set up the roasting tray

   Set a rack over a foil-lined roasting tray and pour 350 ml hot water into the tray below it. Heat the oven to 230°C and arrange the pork strips with space between them so air can circulate.

   

4. 04

   Roast the first side

   Roast the spaced pork at 230°C for 15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Keep the tray water below the rack and do not let the pork touch.

   

5. 05

   Baste at the lower heat

   Whisk 15 ml warm water into the reserved clean 30 ml marinade. Lower the oven to 190°C, brush this mixture over the pork, and roast for 15 minutes more.

   

6. 06

   Lacquer with honey

   Brush the separate 15 g final honey over the pork. Raise the oven to 220°C and roast for 5–8 minutes, turning once, until the surface is mahogany and bubbling; the thickest centre must reach at least 63°C, or 68°C for a firmer slice.

   

7. 07

   Rest and slice

   Rest the pork on the rack for 10 minutes so the juices settle. Slice across the grain into 5 mm pieces and brush lightly with the tray juices; do not slice while piping hot.

   

8. 08

   Serve with the listed parsley

   Arrange the slices on a plate and place the one small curly-parsley sprig at the side. The sprig is the only listed serving garnish; serve while the glaze is glossy.