Chinese Roast Pork In Puff Pastry Recipe

Make Marinade

In a medium bowl, combine hoisin sauce, light soy sauce, honey, Chinese five-spice, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, vegetable oil, salt and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

Marinate Pork

Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Place pork in a nonreactive dish or a large zip-top bag and pour half of the marinade over it, reserving the rest. Massage the marinade into the pork so it is well coated. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight (8–12 hours).

Roast Pork

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a roasting tray with foil and place a wire rack on top. Remove pork from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature 20–30 minutes. Place the pork on the rack and roast for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, brush with some reserved marinade and reduce oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Roast a further 20–30 minutes, basting with reserved marinade every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 70–75°C (158–167°F) and pork is nicely caramelized. If edges are charring too fast, tent lightly with foil.

Finish & Rest

If you want a sticky glaze, reserve about 2 tbs of the pan juices, whisk with the cornstarch and 1 tbsp water in a small saucepan, simmer until thickened, then brush over the pork. Transfer pork to a cutting board and rest for 10–15 minutes. Slice thinly (about 3–5 mm slices) across the grain for assembly.

Prepare Pastry

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) if not already hot. On a lightly floured surface, unfold each thawed puff pastry sheet and gently roll once to remove fold lines and to create a slightly larger rectangle (about 25 x 18 cm each). If making individual pockets, cut each sheet into 2 rectangles to make 4 pockets total. Place rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Assemble Pockets

Brush a thin line of egg wash around the edges of half the pastry rectangles (or the bottom half of each larger rectangle). Place a layer of thinly sliced roast pork in the center of each rectangle, leaving a 1–1.5 cm border. If using, add a small amount (1–2 tbsp) of thinly sliced cucumber and a scattering of sliced green onion on top of the pork. Do not overfill — keep filling level so pastry can seal.

Seal & Egg Wash

Top with the matching pastry rectangle, pressing edges together to seal. Crimp edges with a fork or fold into a decorative seal. Trim any excess dough. Beat the egg with 1 tsp milk and brush the tops and edges liberally. If desired, brush edges with a little water first for extra seal strength. Lightly score the tops (do not cut through) to allow steam to escape.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 18–22 minutes, rotating the sheet once halfway, until pastry is puffed and golden brown. If the pork was cold, add 2–4 minutes to ensure filling warms through.

Glaze & Garnish

While the pastries bake, make a quick glaze using any reserved pan juices or remaining marinade: mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp water, heat the reserved juices (or 2 tbs marinade diluted with 1 tbs water) in a small pan, stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until glossy and slightly thickened. Brush the glaze over the hot pastry, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions if using. Let pastries rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serve each puff pastry pocket warm with thinly sliced cucumber on the side or inside for freshness. Scallion pancakes or steamed buns can be served alongside or used in place of pastry as an alternate assembly. Leftover pork keeps well refrigerated for 2–3 days and can be reheated before stuffing into freshly baked pastry.