Sunday, April 20, 2014

Chinese BBQ Pork

It's Easter, and I'm treating myself to a new dish! I recently bought Hoisin sauce and I didn't really know how to use it, but S gave me a great idea: BBQ pork! Char siu is one of the most popular and succulent Chinese dishes, and it usually comes sliced (cold or room temperature) or in fluffy steamed buns. I had a couple blocks of pork in the freezer, and I was so excited to try making some.

Here is the recipe I have adapted. This takes some marinating, so make sure you have some time on your hands. There was a lot of marinade left, so if you are working with 2-3 pounds of pork, it should still be fine. Although the original recipe calls for honey, I replaced it with maple syrup for that Canadian flair.


Chinese BBQ Pork

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs pork
- 2 cloves garlic (mashed) or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
- 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp sugar

Preparation:
1. Cut pork into strips of approximately 2 inches wide, 5 inches long, and 1 inch tall.
2. Combine all other ingredients and mix well. 
3. Marinate for approximately 3 hours. Reserve the marinade
4. Heat oven to 350˚F. Fill a large baking dish with 1/2 inch of water, and place on the lower rack. Place the pork directly on the upper rack.
5. Bake for 45 minutes. Every 10 minutes, remove the pork and brush on a new layer of marinade. 
6. Remove, cool, and enjoy!


I enjoyed mine with a big bowl of noodles. The tender pork was immensely juicy, and its natural sweetness combined with the rich flavour of the marinade made for a lovely treat. I felt like a fat happy cat after slurping down this meal. 


And fresh hot brownies for dessert! Happy Easter, everybody!