Char Siu Recipe

Trim and cut

Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder, leaving a thin fat cap for flavor. Cut the pork into long 1.5–2 inch thick strips (about 3–4 inch long) so the marinade can penetrate and the pieces will cook evenly.

Pat the pork strips dry with paper towels. Lightly score the fat side with shallow diagonal cuts (about 1/4 inch deep) to help rendering and glaze adhesion.

Make the marinade

In a bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, honey, granulated sugar, five-spice powder, minced garlic, mashed red fermented bean curd (or red food coloring), sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons water until smooth and slightly glossy.

Marinate pork

Place the pork strips in a resealable plastic bag or nonreactive container. Pour the marinade over the pork, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Seal or cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally 12–24 hours, turning once or twice to redistribute the marinade.

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on top. Reserve 1–2 tablespoons of the marinade (not the portion that touched raw pork) for thinning the glaze if desired. If you prefer, you can strain and simmer leftover marinade for 3–5 minutes to use as extra glaze (see notes).

Arrange and roast

Arrange marinated pork strips on the wire rack, spacing them so air circulates. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove from oven and baste the pork generously with about half of the basting glaze (mix 2 tbs honey, 1 tbs hoisin, 1 tbs water or reserved marinade). Return to oven and roast for another 10–15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145–155°F (63–68°C) and edges begin to caramelize. If pieces are thick, you may need up to 25–30 minutes total; adjust accordingly.

For a deeper char and shine: switch oven to broil (high) for the last 1–3 minutes, watching carefully so the glaze caramelizes but does not burn. Remove when nicely charred at edges and internal temp is safe.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, brush on remaining glaze once more and return briefly to heat so the glaze becomes sticky and glossy.

Rest and slice

Transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board and let rest 5–10 minutes so juices redistribute. Slice crosswise into 1/4 inch slices on the bias.

Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice or in bao, or chilled for char siu fried rice.