To many Malaysians, just the mention of char siew would conjure up a mental pictures of tender, juicy, savoury, barbequed pork belly dripping in sweet, sticky and super delicious sauce, sliced into thin pieces and served with chicken rice.
“Char Siew” literally means “fork roast”, named after the traditional cooking method for the dish. It is of Cantonese origin where pork meat is marinated and then roasted to a charred and sticky sweet perfection. Try our recipe below to make a plate of mouth-watering, delicious Char Siew.
Ingredients:
-
- 450g skinless pork belly, cut into 2 long strips
- 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
-
Char Siew Sauce:
- 2 pieces Chinese fermented red bean curd
- 1 tbsp maltose or honey
- 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp dark and thick soy sauce
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
- 8 ½ tsp sugar
Preparation Method:
- Mix all the Char Siu Sauce ingredients in a big bowl, add the garlic and pork belly, make sure the sauce cover all of the belly, and marinate overnight in the fridge.
- The next day, heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
- Place the pork belly on a wire rack and bake for 15 minutes.
- Removed from oven and turn the pork belly over, brush the remaining char siew sauce over and place the pork belly back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until cooked. It’s normal for the char siew to appear dark in colour.
- Slice the char siew into thin and bite-size pieces, serve immediately.
And voila, a great recipe for char siew, ready to be served! Check out more recipes, such as the amazing Siew Bao or Honey Char Siew Pau!
However, if you find it a hassle to prepare by yourself, you can always order well-prepped meals from foodpanda and have it delivered to your right to your doorstep.