BBQ Pork or more commonly known as cha siu is a favourite with most people. Cha siu is so versatile and can be eaten with rice, noodles and bread! There are many different versions one can get – there are the sweet ones in the bao (steamed buns), the savourish ones eg those in wantan mee or wrapped in cheong fun (rice sheets), the ones serve with rice drenched in sweet sauce and served with chilli sauce etc etc. In Aus, I’ve seen it served just as it is – sliced thinly and served with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil; the Japanese have theirs boiled; so you see, it’s a really versatile dish.
I first started to make my own cha siu a couple of years ago. The process used to be long and tedious and the cleaning up after that was horrendous. Since then, I’ve modified my recipe over and over again till I finally reach what it is today. Mine are not the savoury ones you get with wantan mee. It’s the sweetish ones use for baos and for cha siu rice. Just modify the sweetness according to your liking. A lot of the commercially sold ones have been dyed red to make it more attractive. But I don’t dye mine, I like it grilled with the sauce sticking to it. Yum!
Ingredients:
- Pork belly
- Hoisin sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Soy sauce
- Sugar, lots of it
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chinese cooking wine (shaoxing jiu)
Method:
- Mix seasoning together in a bowl. Adjust the taste according to your liking.
- Wash and drain pork belly. Place in a big container or mixing bowl. Pour sauce over it and season overnight.
- Preheat oven to 200. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. Place meat on tray. Bake in oven.
- Occasionally, bask the meat with the sauce. After approximately 20 minutes, turn meat over and bask with more sauce. Bake for a for a further 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat a grill. Pierce meat with a fork and if the meat is cook, remove from the oven. Allow it to stand for 10 minutes. Then slice meat thinly.
- Coat the meat with leftover sauce. Place under the griller and grill till sauce thickens and sticks to the meat. Turn meat over and repeat the same step.
hi there… i’m wondering around different websites that has something to do with yum cha because i am putting up a business here in the philippines…
honestly i didnt know that they call pork bbq in chinese as cha siu… i thought what they call as pork roast or pork asado here in the philippines is their pork bbq.
anyway, i would really want to try your dish but your ingredients aint to complete…
theres no exact measurement… though i would understand that the reason for you not to post it is because you want to keep your recipe a secret…
i for one does that because i’m a cook to in my own home…
i just hope you can share me your exact cha siu recipe…
thanks,
joi
Hi Joi!
The reason why there are no exact measurements in my recipe is because I really do not know the exact measurement. I season and adjust the taste according to my own liking and have never measured with a spoon or scales. Nearly all my savoury dishes are like that. I’m really sorry I can’t be of much help.
Cheers,
Pearlyn
what is hoisin sauce?
Hi Ade,
Hoisin sauce is a dark brownish/black colour sauce available in most supermarkets and asian grocery stores. It’s a thick sauce, close to being a paste kinda texture and is slightly sweet in taste. It’s often used as dips or as seasoning for various chinese cuisine.
Cheers!
Love cha siu and your blog, such a mix of asian and western dishes. For both the baker and cook that lurks in me.
LOVE IT.