*Char siu*, or Chinese red roast pork, is a staple of Cantonese cuisine that’s simple to make at home.


Char Siu Recipe: How to Make Chinese BBQ Pork

*Char siu* is a Chinese method for spit-roasting pork in a marinade of honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and five-spice powder, which turns the pork red. (Red food coloring is sometimes added for a deeper red color.) *Char siu* means "fork roasted" in Cantonese, a reference to the traditional method of roasting the pork on long forks over a fire while continually basting with marinade. 

You can serve *char siu* with a variety of appetizers and noodle dishes, including:

1. __*Char siu* bao__: Steamed buns filled with *char siu* are common at dim sum restaurants.
2. __Fried rice__: Chopped *char siu* is a typical addition to crispy [fried rice](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-fried-rice).
3. __Steamed rice__: The simplest way to enjoy *char siu* is in a bowl of freshly [steamed white rice](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/steamed-rice-recipe).
4. __Noodles__: Slices of *char siu* are often served in a bowl of noodles, and smaller pieces of *char siu* can be incorporated into a noodle stir-fry.
Ingredients in *char siu* recipes vary, but the common components of the dish include:

1. __Pork__: *Char siu* can be made with pork tenderloin, pork loin, pork belly, or pork butt (aka pork shoulder). The fat content, texture, and cooking time will differ depending on which cut of pork you use. 
2. __Soy sauce__: Soy sauce adds flavors of salt and [umami](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-umami-learn-about-umami-and-how-to-incorporate-umami-flavors-in-your-cooking) to many Asian dishes. Use both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce for more depth of flavor.
3. __Hoisin sauce__: Hoisin sauce is a dark, thick sauce that contains fermented soybean paste. Bolstered by starches like potato, rice, and wheat, as well as spices and sweeteners like fennel, chilies, garlic, and brown sugar, hoisin is a sweet and savory sauce. It is most used as a marinade or glaze, though it can also be used as a dip or condiment for dishes like Peking duck and *cheung fan* (rice noodle rolls).
4. __Chinese five-spice powder__: Chinese five-spice powder is an invaluable spice blend in Chinese cooking that hits on the full range of flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Although blends vary, the most common ingredients in Chinese five-spice blends you’ll find in grocery stores are star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorn, and fennel seed.
5. __Shaoxing wine__: Shaoxing <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-best-wine-for-cooking' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-best-wine-for-cooking","linkCopy":"cooking wine","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>cooking wine</a> is a fragrant rice wine used in many Chinese dishes, including the marinade for *char siu.* 
6. __Maltose__: Maltose, a common ingredient in store-bought *char siu* sauce, is a thick sugar syrup often used in restaurants to give meat a shiny appearance. You can substitute honey or molasses for maltose, but you won't get as shiny of a lacquer. 
*Char siu*, or Chinese red roast pork, is a staple of Cantonese cuisine that’s simple to make at home.

Char siu is a Chinese method for spit-roasting pork in a marinade of honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and five-spice powder, which turns the pork red. (Red food coloring is sometimes added for a deeper red color.) Char siu means &quot;fork roasted&quot; in Cantonese, a reference to the traditional method of roasting the pork on long forks over a fire while continually basting with marinade.

What Is Char Siu?

You can serve char siu with a variety of appetizers and noodle dishes, including:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Char siu bao: Steamed buns filled with char siu are common at dim sum restaurants. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Fried rice: Chopped char siu is a typical addition to crispy <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-fried-rice' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-fried-rice","linkCopy":"fried rice","category":null}'>fried rice</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Steamed rice: The simplest way to enjoy char siu is in a bowl of freshly <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/steamed-rice-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/steamed-rice-recipe","linkCopy":"steamed white rice","category":null}'>steamed white rice</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Noodles: Slices of char siu are often served in a bowl of noodles, and smaller pieces of char siu can be incorporated into a noodle stir-fry. </li></ol>

4 Ways to Eat Char Siu

Ingredients in char siu recipes vary, but the common components of the dish include:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Pork: Char siu can be made with pork tenderloin, pork loin, pork belly, or pork butt (aka pork shoulder). The fat content, texture, and cooking time will differ depending on which cut of pork you use. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds flavors of salt and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-umami-learn-about-umami-and-how-to-incorporate-umami-flavors-in-your-cooking' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-umami-learn-about-umami-and-how-to-incorporate-umami-flavors-in-your-cooking","linkCopy":"umami","category":null}'>umami</a> to many Asian dishes. Use both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce for more depth of flavor. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Hoisin sauce: Hoisin sauce is a dark, thick sauce that contains fermented soybean paste. Bolstered by starches like potato, rice, and wheat, as well as spices and sweeteners like fennel, chilies, garlic, and brown sugar, hoisin is a sweet and savory sauce. It is most used as a marinade or glaze, though it can also be used as a dip or condiment for dishes like Peking duck and cheung fan (rice noodle rolls). </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Chinese five-spice powder: Chinese five-spice powder is an invaluable spice blend in Chinese cooking that hits on the full range of flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Although blends vary, the most common ingredients in Chinese five-spice blends you’ll find in grocery stores are star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorn, and fennel seed. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Shaoxing wine: Shaoxing <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-best-wine-for-cooking' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-best-wine-for-cooking","linkCopy":"cooking wine","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>cooking wine</a> is a fragrant rice wine used in many Chinese dishes, including the marinade for char siu. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 6. Maltose: Maltose, a common ingredient in store-bought char siu sauce, is a thick sugar syrup often used in restaurants to give meat a shiny appearance. You can substitute honey or molasses for maltose, but you won&#39;t get as shiny of a lacquer. </li></ol>

6 Essential Char Siu Ingredients

Chinese Char Siu Pork Recipe

Char siu, or Chinese red roast pork, is a staple of Cantonese cuisine that’s simple to make at home.

Char siu, or Chinese red roast pork, is a staple of Cantonese cuisine that’s simple to make at home.
