A little late in the time frame, but this turned out very good.
Char Siu Pork
Ingredients:
• 8 pounds boneless pork shoulder, well-trimmed
• 12 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
• ⅜ to ¾ cup sugar (try ½ next)
• 2¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1⅛ cups hoisin sauce
• ⅜ to ¾ cup honey (try ½ next)
• ½ cup Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ⅜ cup black soy sauce
• ¼ cup sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring
Preparation:
1. Slice pork into strips about six" long and 1½" thick.
2. Make the marinade by combining and whisking together all the other ingredients. Marinate the pork, covered, in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours, or overnight, turning the pork 2 or 3 times.
3. Heat the smoker tot 225°F using hickory. Set a water pan on the lower grate (optional). Remove the pork from the marinate and reserve the marinate for basting.
4. Set pork on grate leaving space between pieces. Insert a probe in a piece of the pork or two, and set the high alarm to 145°F. Meanwhile heat the reserved marinate to boiling, then keep warm. When alarm sounds (about 45 minutes?) raise smoker temp to 300°F and baste the meat with some of the reserved marinade. Reset alarm for 165°F and cook. When alarm sounds again (another 15-30 minutes?) baste again and 1 more time for a total of 3 times. Continue cooking until temp reaches 170°F to 180°F.
5. When the alarm sounds this last time, verify your final pull temperatures with an instant read thermometer in several pieces. When ready, remove the meat from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes covered loosely with foil.
6. Slice and enjoy! Traditional preparation are slices roughly pencil width. Flavor is intense so thin slices are ideal for a good crust to meat ratio per bite. Also good chopped up in fried rice.
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