Dish · chinese
Char Siu
Skewered pork shoulder roasted until charred at the edges and glazed with a sweet, salty marinade of hoisin, honey, and five spice, sliced thin.
Where it comes from
Char siu developed in Cantonese kitchens, where strips of pork were hung on hooks inside tall ovens to roast. The traditional red tint came from fermented red bean curd, though many cooks now use food coloring instead.
What cooks argue about
Cooks argue over basting with several thin coats during roasting, which caramelizes the glaze, versus one thick coat, which risks burning before the pork finishes cooking through.
Versions
Nobody has published a char siu here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
chinese five spice