Cha Shao (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Cha Shao (aka 叉燒, char siu, cha siew, Chinese BBQ pork) literally means "fork roasted." Traditionally, this dish was made by skewering seasoned pork on forks and cooking over a fire (and thus, the name). Cha shao can refer to the marinade, or more typically, the roasted barbecue pork that is most commonly made with the marinade. This recipe was much easier than I had expected, having tasted cha shao many times before, but never seeing it prepared. Another benefit to this recipe are the endless variations that can be made to suit your own tastes. If you like a certain taste, add more of it, and if you dislike a certain taste, add less or eliminate. Playing around with different ratios is all part of the fun! This BBQ pork is usually a very red color, and if you wanted that, red food coloring or red pepper paste could be added. Of course in my excitement to make cha shao, I didn't think of those until after I had made the pork, so it didn't look quite right, but it was just as delicious!

Do you like to play around with recipes or do you usually follow exactly?

Cha Shao (Chinese BBQ Pork)

by CJ Huang

Chinese BBQ pork, cooked to perfection with a flavorful hoisin based sauce.

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		4 tablespoons		soy sauce
		4 tablespoons		hoisin sauce
		2 tablespoons		honey
		2 tablespoons		rice wine
		1 teaspoon		sesame oil
		1/2 teaspoon		Chinese five spice
		1 tablespoon	3 cloves	garlic, minced
		2 teaspoons		ginger, grated
	1 pound			pork

Methods:

1. Mix all of the ingredients, making sure that the pork is well covered, and marinate overnight.
2. Roast at 350F for 30-45 minutes.
3. Flip pieces of pork over, making sure that the exposed surfaces are covered with sauce.
4. Continue to roast at 350F for 30-45 minutes, until tops are caramelized and slightly burnt.
5. Slice thinly and serve with remaining sauce (or make BBQ pork buns!)