Bento Recipe: Char Siu or Yakibuta

A bit more than 2 lbs (1kg) pork shoulder or neck

    For the marinade:
    • 1 cup (360ml) soy sauce
    • 3 Tbs. oyster sauce
    • 5 Tbs. sugar
    • 1/2 cup shaoxing wine (็ดน่ˆˆ้…’）or sake or dry sherry
    • an inch-long (2cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
    • 1 small onion, peeled and cut into quarters
    • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a knife
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 small piece of star anise
    • 1 clove
    Poke the lump of pork all over with the point of your knife. This allows the marinade to penetrate the meat better.
    If you want your pork to be a neat, even bundle, wind some kitchen string around it tightly. I usually skip this step.
    Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
    Put the pork in a sturdy plastic zip bag, then put another bag over it (the second bag catches any leaks - and believe me, that first bag always leaks.) Pour the marinade into the inner bag. Express as much air as you can out of the bag, and close it. Close the outer bag also.
    Place the bagged pork on a plate, and put it in the refrigerator. Marinate it for at east 3 hours or overnight. Turn it around occasionally to distribute the marinade evenly.
    When you are ready to cook it, preheat the oven to 450°F (220°C). Take the pork out of the bag and put it in an oven baking dish. Add the marinade. Roast the pork at the high temperature for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 250°F (120°C). Turn the pork over.
    Roast the pork for 1 1/2 to 2 additional hours, turning it every 30 minutes, or until an oven thermometer registers an internal temperature of 160°F (70°C). Take the baking dish out of the oven and let the meat cool in the marinade, turning occasionally to moisten the meat surface. Cool down before slicing.
    Char siu will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    To store in the freezer: I find it’s easiest to use if I cut it up before freezing. I cut some of it into slices, some into cubes, and some into strips, divide it all up into single-use portions, and freeze. Sometimes I add a drizzle of the marinade to the meat before packing it up. This amount of char siu lasts me for a good month, used in various dishes.
    The marinade itself can be frozen too. Skim off the solidified fat from the surface of the cooled marinade, and strain it through a sieve. Put it in a plastic zip bag and lay flat in the freezer. Once frozen, you can just scoop out a little bit at a time with a spoon. Use a little bit in a stir-fry, fried rice, and so on.

    Variations

    You can make it sweeter by sprinkling the surface with sugar every time you turn the meat.
    As an alternative to using the cinnamon stick, star anise and clove, use 2 tablespoons of Chinese five spice powder. You can also omit the spices entirely, for a simpler flavor.

    Equipment note: Instant-read meat thermometers

    If you are a meat-roasting newbie, I really recommend getting an oven thermometer - they really aren’t expensive, and will take away any anxieties you may have over overcooking an expensive piece of meat.

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    Recipe: Frog leg claypot rice

    Claypot Tien Kai Fun (Claypot Padi Frog Rice) 200g padi frogs ( tien kai ), cleaned and cut into serving pieces 200g fragrant long grain rice, washed and drained 400ml water 1 tbsp oil 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp shredded ginger 1 tsp chopped garlic A few drops dark soy sauce Marinade (A) 1 tbsp premium oyster sauce 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tbsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiau cooking wine (optional) 1 tbsp ginger juice 1 tsp sesame oil Marinade (B) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1 tsp corn oil Garnishing Chopped spring onions and Chinese parsley Chilli strips Method: Season rice with marinade (B) and set aside. Season padi frogs with marinade (A) for 30 minutes. Put rice into a claypot, add enough water and bring to a boil. Cook rice till the water almost dries up. Heat oil and sesame oil in a wok, fry ginger and garlic till fragrant. Add the marinated frogs and fry briskly. Add a few drops of dark soy sauce ...
    Read more

    Recipe: Braised Duck Wings and Feet

    Image
    Ingredients: ------------- 1 kg Duck Wings 1 kg Duck Feet Few Slices of Ginger Dark Soya Sauce Fish Sauce A little bit of sugar (for thickening the soup) 2 tablespoon of Shaoxing Wine Sesame Oil Claypot Method: ------------- Boil hot water and place in all the duck wings and feet to clean away the dirty blood. Heat up the claypot and fry the ginger slices with sesame oil till fragrant. Pour in all the duck wings and feet. Add in the dark soya sauce, fish sauce, sugar and boil it over high heat for about 30 minutes. Turn to low heat and continue braising for 3 hours till the meat becomes tender and soft. Add in the Shaoxing wine and continue on high heat for about 10 minutes more. The dish is ready to be served.
    Read more

    Recipe: Ba Bao Ya (Eight Jewel Duck)

    1 duck, clean weight approx. 1.5 – 1.8 kg 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder Enough oil for deep-frying Filling 3 dried mushrooms, soaked to soften and diced 10 dried lotus seeds, soaked for 10 – 15 minutes 1 cup glutinous rice, washed and soaked overnight 100g button mushrooms, diced 1chicken sausage, diced 2 tbsp diced bamboo shoot 2 tbsp diced carrot 10 gingko nuts, shelled 2 tbsp oil Seasoning 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp thick soy sauce 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tsp chicken stock granules 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiau cooking wine 1/2 tbsp sesame oil Thickening 2 tsp corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp water Rub the inside and outside of duck with salt and five-spice powder. Leave duck aside for 1 hour. Heat enough oil in a wok until hot, put in duck and deep-fry until lightly browned. Remove and drain from oil. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok. Add both types of mushrooms, lotus see...
    Read more