SWEET AND STICKY CHINESE BBQ PORK (AKA CHAR SIU)

If you love sweet and sticky char siu like we do, give this recipe a go! We also played around and gave it a little spicy kick by adding Korean pepper flakes. Why? Because we think sweet and spicy go hand in hand, don’t you agree?

Every time I google a recipe for char siu, I used a different one every time, with different results every time. So I decided to actually spend the time and create one to my liking (I like mine very sweet and sticky) and actually document it. Yes, it took more effort than googling a recipe but you know what? It was worth it!

Most of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store, however red fermented tofu, Korean red pepper flakes may be harder to find and you may have to find them at an Asian grocery store but this ingredient is optional.

Sweet and Sticky Chinese BBQ Pork (aka Char Siu) Recipe
If you love sweet & sticky char siu like we do, give this recipe a go! ..and we added Korean pepper flakes for a kick, because sweet & spicy go hand in hand!



Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons fancy/cooking molasses (not blackstrap molasses) – can also be substituted with maltose, barley malt syrup or honey)
• 1-2 cubes red fermented tofu (and 4 teaspoons of the sauce, mashed together) – this is also known as red bean curd
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
• 4 slices of ginger (roughly chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine (or dry sherry)
• (optional) 1 tablespoon Korean pepper flakes (for additional colour and a mild spiciness. It will also give it a more earthier flavour)
• 2-3 lbs pork shoulder (cut into long 3 inch thin strips)
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions
Cutting and Marinating the Meat

• Cut the pork shoulder into thin 3 inch thick strips. (Cooks faster and absorbs marinade more evenly)
• Combine the ingredients in the marinade section into a ziplock or a big bowl and combine it with the pork.
• Marinate it in the fridge for 24 hours.

Preparing the Glaze

• Remove the meat from the marinade and let it sit for an hour in room temperature.
• Reserve the marinade into a small bowl and remove the garlic bits and ginger
• Add 2 tablespoons of honey into the marinade and mix. We will use this for glazing at the end of grilling

Grilling the Pork

1. Heat up BBQ to 325F (162C)
2. Cook the char siu for 15 mins on one side, then flip it for another 10 mins. Check the meat thermometer. Temperature should be around 145F (62C). If it’s not, keep the meat on longer until it reaches that internal temperature.
3. Once it hits an internal temperature of 145F (62C), we glazed 4-5 times, flipping the meat every minute to prevent burning
4. When the meat looks red, sticky and slightly burnt, remove it from the BBQ and let it rest for 20 mins on a plate before cutting into it.
5. Once the meat has rested, cut it up and enjoy!! 

Recipe Adapted : SWEET AND STICKY CHINESE BBQ PORK (AKA CHAR SIU) @ pupswithchopsticks