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Homemade Char Siu Recipe: The Woks of Life Family Method Summary
Clip title: Char Siu | Our 50 year old family recipe! | The Woks of Life Author / channel: The Woks of Life URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By7NwdKdxpE
Summary
This video provides a comprehensive guide on how to prepare homemade Chinese Roast Pork, commonly known as Char Siu (or Tarsiu in Cantonese). The host emphasizes that making Char Siu at home is not only cost-effective but can also yield a fresher and potentially superior product compared to many restaurant versions, though he encourages supporting local Chinatown establishments as well. The recipe is versatile, with variations available for cooking in an oven, air fryer, or on a grill, and can be used in numerous dishes beyond just a rice plate.
The instructional portion begins with meat selection, recommending a pork butt boneless shoulder roast for its ideal fat-to-lean ratio, which ensures a juicy and flavorful result. Leaner cuts like tenderloin or pork loin are advised against for Char Siu, as they tend to be less succulent. The marinade is a key component, comprising sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, five-spice powder, white pepper, maltose (or honey), and fresh minced garlic. Special attention is given to maltose for its sticky glaze and molasses for its sweetness, depth of flavor, and color-enhancing properties. Red food coloring is mentioned as an optional ingredient for achieving the traditional vibrant red hue.
The preparation process is typically spread over two days. On the first day, the pork is cut along its natural muscle seams and butterflied to achieve an even thickness of 1.5 to 2 inches, allowing for uniform cooking. These pieces are then thoroughly mixed with the prepared marinade and refrigerated overnight. On the second day, the excess marinade liquid is separated from the pork, cooked to remove any raw meat contaminants, and then combined with maltose to create a basting glaze. The pork is arranged on a rack over a pan with water (to prevent drippings from burning and maintain a moist oven environment) and roasted at an initial high temperature (475°F for 10 minutes) before lowering to a moderate temperature (375°F for 15 minutes). Midway through roasting, the pork is flipped and basted, and the pan is rotated for even cooking. A final basting and resting period under foil ensure the meat retains its juiciness and develops a perfect sticky exterior.
The conclusion highlights the delicious outcome of the homemade Char Siu, which is sliced and traditionally served on a bed of rice with stir-fried Chinese vegetables, optionally drizzled with the prepared pan juices or sweet soy sauce. The host showcases various culinary applications for Char Siu, including fried rice, lo mein, bao buns, and stir-fries, encouraging viewers to freeze cooked leftovers for future meals. The video serves as a practical guide for home cooks seeking to master this classic Chinese dish, underscoring the benefits of fresh ingredients and careful preparation.
Video Description & Links
Description
Bill learned to make char siu, or Chinese BBQ Pork, from his father, a Chinese chef. He used a closely guarded recipe of Chinese sauces, lots of garlic, and spices to make his classic char siu. Since posting this recipe in 2014, this has consistently been a top recipe, and countless readers have made it. Watch Bill make it from start to finish, and give it a try yourself!
While we first posted this recipe on The Woks of Life years ago (February 2014 to be exact), we’ve re-tested and made a few tweaks to the recipe that I’m sure he’d approve of! Also scroll down for a new recipe video! Full Char Siu recipe HERE! https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-bbq-pork-cha-siu/
Other recipe links: BBQ Char Siu on the grill: https://thewoksoflife.com/bbq-char-siu-grill/ Air Fryer Char Siu: https://thewoksoflife.com/air-fryer-char-siu/ Char Siu CHICKEN: https://thewoksoflife.com/char-siu-chicken/ Char Siu RIBS: https://thewoksoflife.com/oven-baked-ribs-char-siu/ Pork Fried Rice: https://thewoksoflife.com/classic-pork-fried-rice/ Pork Lo Mein: https://thewoksoflife.com/pork-lo-mein/ Roast Pork with Mixed Vegetables: https://thewoksoflife.com/roast-pork-chinese-vegetables/ Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao): https://thewoksoflife.com/steamed-bbq-pork-buns-char-siu-bao/ Baked BBQ Pork Buns: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-bbq-pork-buns-cha-siu-bao/
0:00 Intro 0:43 Oven? Air fryer? Grill? 1:00 Best cut of meat for Char Siu 1:50 Overview of recipe steps (overnight marinade!) 2:25 Can I freeze char siu? (Yes!) 2:40 Recipes that use Char Siu 2:58 Char Siu Marinade 3:15 The key ingredient! 5:07 Cut the pork into pieces 7:39 Marinade the pork 9:07 Roast the Char Siu 10:10 Roasting times and temperatures 12:10 Beauty shots & plating 13:50 Taste test!
Thanks for watching!
- Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin ❤️👨👩👧👧
Editor: Ian Holden
Check out our NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING cookbook: https://thewoksoflife.com/the-woks-of-life-cookbook-now-available/
For all of your questions on Chinese ingredients: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-ingredients-glossary/
For more tips on Chinese cooking methods: https://thewoksoflife.com/category/how-to/cooking-methods/
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About The Woks of Life: Since its founding in 2013, The Woks of Life has become the #1 online resource for approachable, creative, authentic Chinese recipes in English. Through their popular recipe site and diverse social media community, Bill, Judy, Sarah and Kaitlin Leung share inspiring recipes and their family’s culinary genealogy with millions of home cooks. With the debut of their highly-acclaimed, New York Times bestselling cookbook The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family in 2022, the family has served up even more of their sought-after recipes and culinary stories to hungry fans and new audiences. The Leungs have been featured in numerous press outlets, including Magnolia Network’s Family Dinner with Andrew Zimmern, Food Network’s Family Meal, as well as Bon Appetit, Good Morning America, NPR, The New York Times, and many more.
Tags
The Woks of Life, Woks of Life, thewoksoflife, The Woks of Life Youtube, Woks of Life Youtube, Woks of Life Recipes, Woks of Life Meals, Chinese food, chinese food recipes, Cooking chinese food, best chinese food, chinese recipes, wok recipes, wok, char siu, char siu recipe, baked char siu recipe, best char siu, homemade char siu, chinese roast pork recipe, chinese roast pork, cha siu recipe, cha su recipe, char sue recipe, roast pork, chinese pork, chinese pork recipes
URLs
- https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-bbq-pork-cha-siu/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/bbq-char-siu-grill/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/air-fryer-char-siu/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/char-siu-chicken/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/oven-baked-ribs-char-siu/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/classic-pork-fried-rice/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/pork-lo-mein/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/roast-pork-chinese-vegetables/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/steamed-bbq-pork-buns-char-siu-bao/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-bbq-pork-buns-cha-siu-bao/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/the-woks-of-life-cookbook-now-available/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-ingredients-glossary/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/category/how-to/cooking-methods/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/wok-guide/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/best-wok-to-buy/
- https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-season-a-wok/
- https://www.instagram.com/thewoksoflife
- https://www.pinterest.com/thewoksoflife1/
- https://www.facebook.com/thewoksoflife/
Related Concepts
- Chinese Roast Pork — Wikipedia
- Char Siu — Wikipedia
- Home Cooking — Wikipedia
- Cantonese Cuisine — Wikipedia
- Pork Butt — Wikipedia
- Marinade — Wikipedia
- Hoisin Sauce — Wikipedia
- Five-Spice Powder — Wikipedia
- Maltose — Wikipedia
- Shaoxing Wine — Wikipedia
- Soy Sauce — Wikipedia
- Oven Roasting — Wikipedia
- Meat Preparation — Wikipedia
- Food Glaze — Wikipedia
- Fat-to-Lean Ratio — Wikipedia
- Basting Technique — Wikipedia