Garlicky and savory-sweet, this roasted pork is a mainstay of Cantonese barbecue shops and dim sum houses. Aside from eating it straight, which is hard to resist, there are countless uses for it, including as a filling for steamed buns and garnish for wontons in soup. Make a batch of roast pork, and you’ll have enough for a number of different applications. To make the pork look appetizing, char siu (chashāo in Mandarin) is often prepared with food coloring. But chemical coloring isn’t needed here, as the marinade employs dark soy sauce to impart an appealing reddish brown color to the meat. Select a well-balanced and fragrant Chinese five-spice blend that is not too medicinal or too sweet. For an unusual smoky edge, roast the pork over a wood fire, as the pros do in Kuala Lumpur.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 1/2 pounds
Ingredients
Marinade
Preparation
Step 1
Quarter the pork lengthwise into strips about 6 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. If there are odd-size pieces, they should be of the same thickness.
Step 2
To make the marinade, in a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, sugar, five-spice powder, hoisin sauce, honey, rice wine, light and dark soy sauces, and sesame oil. Set aside 1/3 of the marinade, cover, and refrigerate to later baste the meat. Add the pork to the remainder and use a spatula or tongs to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, or even overnight, turning the pork 2 or 3 times.
Step 3
Remove the pork and reserved marinade from the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a flat roasting rack on the baking sheet. Put the pork on the rack, spacing the pieces 1 inch apart to promote heat circulation. Discard the used marinade, wash and dry the bowl, and put the reserved marinade in it.
Step 4
Roast, basting with the marinade every 10 minutes, for 30 to 35 minutes. To baste, use tongs to pick up each piece and roll it in the marinade before returning it to the rack, turning the pork over each time. The pork is done when it looks glazed, is slightly charred, and, most important, registers about 145°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove from the oven.
Step 5
Let the meat rest for 10 minutes to finish cooking and seal in the juices before using. Or, let it cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
