Char Siu

Method

1. Cut the pork along the grain into long strips about 4 cm thick and 5 cm wide (2 strips of about 200 g). Leave a little fat on: it keeps char siu juicy. Prick all over with a fork so the marinade can soak in.

   Add in this stepPork shoulder (pork butt or collar), boneless 400 g

2. Mash the fermented bean curd with a fork in a bowl, then mix in the hoisin, light soy, oyster sauce, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, sugar, five-spice and garlic until smooth. Spoon 2 tbsp into a small covered container and refrigerate it for basting. Coat the pork thoroughly in the rest, put it in a zip bag or covered bowl and marinate in the fridge for 8 h (overnight is best; at least 4 hours).

   Add in this stepHoisin sauce 2 tbspLight soy sauce 1 tbspOyster sauce 1 tbspDark soy sauce (for colour) 1½ tspShaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry) 1 tbspSugar 2 tbspFive-spice powder ½ tspGarlic cloves, finely grated 2Red fermented bean curd (cubes; optional, for colour and depth) 1

3. Take the pork out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Line a roasting tray with foil, pour in about 1 cm of hot water and set a wire rack on top; the water stops the dripping sugar from burning and smoking. Preheat the oven to 200°C for 15 min.

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4. Lift the pork out of the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and lay the strips on the rack with space between them. Roast on the middle shelf of the oven at 200°C for 20 min. Turn the strips over, brush with the reserved marinade, and top up the water in the tray if it has dried out.

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5. Roast for another 15 min at 200°C in the oven. Mix the honey with the hot water, brush it generously over the pork and roast for 5 min more, until the surface is sticky, glossy and charred at the edges. The thickest part should read at least 71 °C on a thermometer, and the juices should run clear.

   Add in this stepHoney 1½ tbspHot water (for the glaze) 1 tbsp

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6. Rest the char siu on a board for 10 min so the juices settle, brush once more with any remaining honey glaze, then slice 1 cm thick across the grain. Serve with steamed rice and blanched greens, spooning over the tray juices.