Hello, guys! Char Siu is in the house! We are making a char siu recipe today for our future menu of Chinese pork buns or any noodle menu we will have in this blog. This is so easy-to-make, freezeable, fridge-able, and made with pork tenderloin.
Pork tenderloin is a very lean pork meat that is not only cheap, but also juicy when it is cooked right- just like how we cooked our Pork Barbecue today! It is also very high in protein; it’s packed with Vitamin B and it is lesser in fat compared to the other meat. You might be surprised to know that pork tenderloin has lesser fat than chicken breast, meaning pork tenderloin is the other white meat out there. [tweet this]
So why is pork tenderloin always shunned by so many of us? I think it’s because pork loin is so lean, it can end up seeming tasteless. I have to be honest with you; I want fat in my meat. Fat is the bread and butter of the pork, making it blissfully tasty. I can confidently say that fat makes the pork meat utterly delicious (and unhealthy).
After sharing with the Lechon Kawali recipe which was so fatty, I am making amends here. I am sharing with you a healthier version of the Chinese Pork Barbecue made with pork tenderloin; it was rubbed with a tasty sauce and was marinated with a kickass concoction so it becomes tasty; you will not miss the pork fat at all. In fact, you will forget that pork meat even needs fat in order to be delicious. You can also use this pork tenderloin barbecue to fill your Chinese Pork Buns (which I am going to share next post), eat it with rice with fried egg on the side, or make it the star ingredient for your noodle soup.
I am not sure if you have frequented an Asian restaurant. If you have, I assume you will be familiar about the kind of pork that they serve. This barbecue is called Char Siu, or in our language, pork barbecue. This barbecue has a distinct taste in it due to the Chinese Five Spice. The smell of this meal is fantastic. I love the smell. It is also universal since it goes with almost everything; rice, noodles, and spring rolls are just a few ideas. I made a large batch of this for specific meal I have planned. Unfortunately, this pork barbecue did not make it to the next menu – it was gone right away. In fact, I am making this again today for tonight’s meal.
And since summer is almost here, why not change your barbecuing style a little bit and use this barbecue recipe?
Chinese Barbecue - Char Siu Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs thinly sliced port shoulder butt or tenderloin (slice into 1/2 " thick)
- 4 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp molasses
- 2 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sun dried tomato paste or tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- FOR THE RUB:
- 1/8 up Hoisin Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, put all of the ingredients, except the pork meat and rub ingredients, and mix until incorporated. During this time, taste the marinade if it is at par on how you want it. If not add some of the hoisin sauce, sugar etc. If it is good enough, add in the meat and marinate the meat overnight in the fridge.
- When you are ready to get baking, preheat oven at 375 F . Prepare a baking sheet and line with wire rack. Prepare the rub. Mix thoroughly the Hoisin and five spice. Set aside.
- Place the marinated meat on the wire rack and bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes each side. During the process of baking, brush the rub on the meat every 15 minutes. When the meat is done, slice into thin slices.
Your ingredients list includes “1/8 Up Hoisin Sauce”. Is this different from Hoisin Sauce listed earlier? Is it a typo?
HI, Alex.You have additional 1/8 cup of Hoisin for the rub. And the 4 tbsp is included in the marinade.
Look at that beauty, I can top that in rice or noodles anytime.
Thanks.
I’ve been trying to get up my courage to try this! I think I will sometime… Looks delicious!
Please do. It is easy:)