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:
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The key is to marinate the meat overnight. Mine marinated for close to 24 hours.
Looked like this when they hit the grill:
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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.
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Traditional preparation are slices roughly pencil width. Flavor is intense so thin slices are ideal for a good crust to meat ratio per bite.
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And leftovers are phenomenal!
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