How to Make the Best Char Siu

Summary by Krater

Chef Tim Chin demonstrates how to make classic Cantonese char siu at home using pork collar, a homemade marinade with red yeast rice, and slow roasting.

From the video

Answers: How do you make authentic Cantonese char siu at home?

• Cantonese char siu recipe
• Pork collar butchery
• Red yeast rice marinade
• Slow roasting char siu
• Maltose glaze

Ingredients

• 1500 g pork collar
• 200 g light soy sauce
• 150 g hoisin sauce
• 100 g sugar
• 50 g oyster sauce
• 75 g Chinese rose wine
• 15 g toasted sesame oil
• 5 g white pepper, ground
• 3 g five-spice powder
• .25 g Prague powder #1
• 15 g garlic clove(s), finely grated
• 15 g fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
• 30 g red yeast rice, ground
• 100 g maltose
• water

What it concludes

• Pork collar is the most prized cut for char siu due to its uniform distribution of fat and connective tissue.
• Red yeast rice provides the authentic deep crimson color of char siu while remaining heat- and pH-stable.
• Reserving leftover marinade rather than using pan drippings prevents excess fat and gelatinous solids from making the glaze opaque and slick.
• Low and slow roasting at 225 °F is integral to breaking down collagen in connective tissue.
• Maltose caramelizes and chars upon high heat while nicely lacquering the meat.