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Prep time
6 hours 40 minutes
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Cook time
40 minutes
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Serves
4 to 6
Author Notes
So many recipes exist for char siu, a world-famous Cantonese barbecued pork, that you may not think another is needed. However, as is the case with many staple dishes, there is no "perfect" or “correct” interpretation, but only a favorite one. And this one is proudly mine. Here, I achieve the meat’s iconic dark red exterior stain—often so vibrant because the marinade contains food dye—with fresh beet juice, just one of the mixture’s both traditional and unconventional ingredients, which strike the perfect balance in flavor and consistency. Baked in relatively low heat to achieve an almost sous-vide-like interior juiciness, the char siu is then glazed and torched with a gooey-sticky coating that is both floral and fruity for that classic charred and glistening finish. I've had my fair share of char siu, you see, and I can't think of one that I'd like to eat more than this version.
Note: This recipe calls for a kitchen torch to get the signature charred exterior—it’s necessary for the best end result, but if you don’t have a torch, skip it.
—Mandy @ Lady and pups
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Char Siu With Fig Jam Glaze
Ingredients
- Pork & Marinade
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1 pound
(450 grams) pork shoulder (preferably marbled), or skinless pork belly
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1/4 cup
(60 grams) beet juice
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1/4 cup
(72 grams) hoisin sauce
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2 1/2 tablespoons
(37 grams) soy sauce
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2 tablespoons
(15 grams) potato, tapioca, or cornstarch
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1 1/2 tablespoons
(30 grams) yellow miso paste
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1 tablespoon
(15 grams) fish sauce
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1 tablespoon
(15 grams) dark brown sugar
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1 tablespoon
(15 grams) Chinese rose wine, baijiu, or gin
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1 1/2 teaspoons
(10 grams) Dijon mustard
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1/4 teaspoon
Chinese five-spice powder
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1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
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3
garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- Fig Jam Glaze
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3 tablespoons
(60 grams) floral honey
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2 tablespoons
(36 grams) fig jam
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1 1/2 tablespoons
(20 grams) unsalted butter
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1 pinch
fine sea salt
Directions
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Cut the pork into 1½-inch-wide strips, then use a wooden skewer to poke a few holes on each side of the strips. In a large bowl, whisk together the beet juice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, potato starch, miso, fish sauce, sugar, rose wine, mustard, five-spice, and pepper until combined. Place the pork in the mixture, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours, turning the meat once halfway.
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Remove the pork from the fridge and mix in the smashed garlic. Heat the oven to 355°F/180°C with a rack in the middle position. Place 4 small heatproof cups or ramekins on top of a parchment- or foil-lined sheet pan, then place a roasting rack or heatproof cooking rack on top of the cups (this promotes air circulation around the pork as it bakes).
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Place the pork on top of the rack 2 to 3 inches apart, then place the sheet pan and rack in the oven. Keep the container with the marinade nearby. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Pick up each piece of pork with heatproof tongs, carefully dip each back into the marinade, then return to the rack with the side that was facing up now facing down. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F/65°C. Discard the marinade.
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While the pork is roasting, in a small pot, stir together the honey, fig jam, butter, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
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Once the pork is cooked through, use a kitchen torch to add a little char to the exterior of each piece of pork. (Don’t use the broiler to do this or the pork will be completely overcooked.) Let the pork rest on the rack at room temperature for 20 minutes.
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To serve, slather the top and sides of the char siu with the fig jam glaze, then torch it again for about 15 to 20 seconds on each side, until sizzling. Flip, then glaze and torch the bottom of each piece of pork. Let the char siu rest again for 5 minutes for the glaze to set before slicing and serving.
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