Pellet Fan
Here's How I.... => Cook Pork => Topic started by: Ralphie on August 22, 2018, 11:20:39 AM
-
Char Siu is the roasted Chinese pork we all know that is red on the outside (Cantonese, I believe). It’s found in pork fried rice and often a similar preparation is made for Chinese spare ribs.
With inspiration from my Chinese-American friend from Dallas (a helluva pit master), along with a little research, I took a stab at Char Siu.
This dish will have a recurring presence in my repertoire. It’s fantastic.
I cut a corner and used the sauce from the jar I found at my local Asian grocery store. It’s delicious although there are numerous recipes online to make the sauce from scratch. A very simple list of ingredients.
Also, typical meat used are boneless cuts of pork butt or pork tenderloin. I used boneless country style ribs because I had them in my freezer already.
I used this sauce:
[ Invalid Attachment ]
The key is to marinate the meat overnight. Mine marinated for close to 24 hours.
Looked like this when they hit the grill:
[ Invalid Attachment ]
Though typically roasted or grilled at approximately 375 degrees for 45 minutes, I smoked mine at 225 for 45 minutes and then 375 degrees for another 30-40 minutes. I brushed with sauce twice during the higher temp phase.
[ Invalid Attachment ]
Traditional preparation are slices roughly pencil width. Flavor is intense so thin slices are ideal for a good crust to meat ratio per bite.
[ Invalid Attachment ]
[ Invalid Attachment ]
And leftovers are phenomenal!
[ Invalid Attachment ]
-
I haven’t tried spare ribs but from memory, I’d say the flavor profile is very similar if not the same. From my research and talking to my buddy, they all say that marinating is vital to the recipe.
For this dish, you’ll notice that most recipes say to roast or grill at 375 for 45 minutes either in the oven or over charcoal.
Using boneless pork butt or country style ribs yields a tender and juicy bite that falls somewhere between tenderloin and pork chop in tenderness. And it’s a fairly short cooking time.
-
Thank you. Char Sue is one of my favorite flavors with pork...
Also, typical meat used are boneless cuts of pork butt = boneless country style ribs...
-
I have some of the dry mix packs, I may have to grab a few pork tenderloins next trip to gordons and give it a try. I have been sous vide cooking the tenderloins, I may marinade in a bag and then cook them in the marinade and then toss on the grill to finish. Thanks for the post.
-
Thanks for sharing Ralphie. I can see referring back to this thread in my near future as a guide to a future cook. Those country ribs look awesome!
-
Missed the Pork Fried Rice...that is the $15 kind!
-
Glad you liked the stuff in the jar. I tried it and thought it tasted nothing like the real stuff and did not care for it at all. I threw the jar out and went back to making my own. I've used several recipes, but this is the one I usually make: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRiJsTjJWbo&t=8s
-
I have no doubt the scratch sauce is better and suggested looking for one online. Particularly a recipe including fermented bean curd (tofu), hoisin, and rose wine. Great stuff and I admittedly took a shortcut with the jar. But I really liked it. However, I planned on using a scratch made Char Siu sauce to experiment with a rack of ribs.
-
I am definitely making that one of these days! What IT do you cook to?
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
-
Good question. I didn’t check it. Just kinda knew it was done based on time cooked compared to the recipes I studied. Also, each piece of meat was only about 1 inch thick in diameter so I knew it wouldn’t take long.
-
I made Char Siu for the first time just a few weeks ago. It was based on a recipe Susie at Hey Grille Hey linked on her website/FB page. It used about 3 pounds of boneless shoulder. Made the sauce from scratch - it wasn't that much of a challenge or time sink. The whole thing turned out great (which is handy since we'd invited guests for that dinner). We'll definitely be doing it again.
-
The youtube above surprised me at the color. I guess I want that 1955 Peking Duck looking color. The kind of color that looks so artificial that you know down the road they will say it is bad for you! I always remember it from the pork we would get from the Chinese's restaurants in Fresno in the 60's. Looked like red florescent ham.
Funny, I tried to find some pictures of what I was talking about and can't find a one (I guess you need to be over 55 to know what I am talking about), and maybe all that stuff did have Red Dye #5 in it!
-
The youtube above surprised me at the color. I guess I want that 1955 Peking Duck looking color. The kind of color that looks so artificial that you know down the road they will say it is bad for you! I always remember it from the pork we would get from the Chinese's restaurants in Fresno in the 60's. Looked like red florescent ham.
Funny, I tried to find some pictures of what I was talking about and can't find a one (I guess you need to be over 55 to know what I am talking about), and maybe all that stuff did have Red Dye #5 in it!
Yup. You need to add red dye if you want that bright red kind of color. A lot of folks use red bean curd, which adds a more subtle red to it.
-
try beet juice
-
try beet juice
That's a great idea.
-
try beet juice
That's a great idea.
I saw it as an ingredient on some very red Taco Bell branded bag of tortilla chips, and did a quick google search yesterday after my post and it showed up as a red dye coloring agent on multiple sites. Not sure how it would affect the taste though.
-
try beet juice
That's a great idea.
I saw it as an ingredient on some very red Taco Bell branded bag of tortilla chips, and did a quick google search yesterday after my post and it showed up as a red dye coloring agent on multiple sites. Not sure how it would affect the taste though.
It's such a strong colorant that I bet you could use at a levels below taste threshold and still get some decent results.
-
In the "old days" in the South, beet juice was used to make red velvet cake red, so I would assume it doesn't have much flavor, just color.
-
Made Char Siu yesterday and added a little beet juice to the marinade. I think it, ahem, worked. Color did get toned down after glazing. Will add photos of cross section once I cut into it.
-
For me, your cooking picture is the color I am used to and trying to achieve , for my finished product!
-
For me, your cooking picture is the color I am used to and trying to achieve , for my finished product!
I think if I would have added the beet juice to the glaze it would have gotten there.
-
Haven't tried this one, but was posted at work. From looking through the ingredients, it seems legit.
Char Siu Barbecue Pork
2 oz light brown sugar
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 oz Honey
0.5 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tbsp Sherry cooking wine
1 tsp Red food coloring
1 tbsp chopped garlic cloves
Supposed to be enough for 3 lbs of pork. Someone try and let me know, 'cause I'm going to have to wait until the weekend to find out.
OnEdit: Left out the part where you're supposed to marinade for 12-24 hrs. I'd go with 24 if I could.
-
Maybe this and this! Thanks to both of you!
For me, your cooking picture is the color I am used to and trying to achieve , for my finished product!
I think if I would have added the beet juice to the glaze it would have gotten there.
Char Siu Barbecue Pork
2 oz light brown sugar
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 oz Honey
0.5 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tbsp Sherry cooking wine
1 tsp Red food coloring Beet Juice.
1 tbsp chopped garlic cloves
-
This is the recipe I use. Note that the original glaze recipe used Maltose which is found is Asian markets. The stuff is a PITA to work with so I've used brewers malt syrup. This time used light corn syrup as it has a more neutral flavor. I also reduced the water and syrup in the glaze as it makes much more than needed. I've included the original and modified.
Ingredients:
Rub
Sugar: 3/5 cup sugar or 130 g
Mei Kuei Lu Chew: 1/6 cup or 40 mL
Pork Shoulder Butt: 2.25 lb or 1 kg
Soy Sauce: 3/8 cup (6 tbsp) or 90 mL
Oyster Sauce: 1 tbsp
Hoisin Sauce: 1 tbsp
Ground Bean Sauce: 1 tbsp
Shallot: 1/5 cup or 47 g minced
Salt: 1 tsp
White Pepper: 1 tsp
Five Spice: 1.5 tsp
Ginger Powder: 1 tbsp
Garlic Powder: 1 tbsp
Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tsp
Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp
New Glaze
1/4 cup water
1/4 Cup Brown sugar
150 gram Corn Syrup
Original Glaze:
Maltose: 350g
Brown Sugar: 1/2 cup
Water: 1/2 cup
Rub the sugar into the pork, then rub in the wine.
Marinate at least 3 hours.
Mix dry ingredients then add rest of ingredients
After 3 hours, rub the sauce into the pork and marinate 4-6 hours or overnight.
Remove pork from marinade but reserve marinade for basting.
Cook at 325 for 30 minutes, basting at 15 minutes
Remove the pork and raise oven to 400.
Glaze the pork well and put back in oven for 5-10 minutes. Turn oven off and let pork rest another 5 minutes. Internal temp should be 165.
-
Bregent - so, to modify your recipes, old and new, add beet juice to both the rub and either glaze?
Yeah, I would try both. Probably 1 tbls in the glaze and 3 or 4 in the marinade. See how that works and tweak if necessary. I used my Slow Star juicer to extract the juice from 3 large beets. I probably used a quarter cup in the marinade and froze the rest in an ice cube tray.
-
Cool, let us know how it works for you.
-
Char siu pork loin roast. Not a traditional cut of pork for this dish but it’s what I had in the freezer. We enjoyed half of it. The other half is vac sealed and in the freezer and will be resurrected for fried rice or homemade ramen soup at a later date.
[ Invalid Attachment ]
[ Invalid Attachment ]
-
Sorry didn't mention this 1st ??? :P Yours looks great love this stuff.
Made some up a while ago. Used a Butt and made my sauce. Turned out great.
[ Invalid Attachment ] [ Invalid Attachment ]
-
I believe it is used, it is usually just cut into strips and made that way. More surface area for the sauce.
Char siu pork loin roast. Not a traditional cut of pork for this dish but it’s what I had in the freezer.
-
Made some char siu from a 1/2 of a pork belly I picked up from Costco. I'm curing the other half for pancetta.
Also picked up an Oklahoma Joe Bronco drum smoker on clearance - couldn't resist - and used that for the cook. It turned out good, but I think I'll stick to shoulder for char siu - belly is just too fatty (although my kids don't mind). Forgot to take a plated shot.