Char Siu Pork Sous Vide Version Recipes

CHAR SIU (CHINESE BBQ PORK)

Steps:

• Cut pork with the grain into strips 1 1/2- to 2-inches long; put into a large resealable plastic bag.
• Stir soy sauce, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, rice wine, hoisin sauce, red food coloring or red bean curd (see Cook's Note), and Chinese five-spice powder together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until just combined and slightly warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the marinade into the bag with the pork, squeeze air from the bag, and seal. Turn bag a few times to coat all pork pieces in marinade.
• Marinate pork in refrigerator, 2 hours to overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove pork from marinade and shake to remove excess liquid. Discard remaining marinade.
• Cook pork on preheated grill for 20 minutes. Put a small container of water onto the grill and continue cooking, turning the pork regularly, until cooked through, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

CHAR SIU PORK

Steps:

• Quarter the pork lengthwise into strips about 6 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. If there are odd-sized pieces, they should be of the same thickness.
• To make the marinade, in a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, sugar, five-spice powder, hoisin sauce, honey, wine, light and dark soy sauces, and sesame oil. Add the pork and use a spatula or tongs to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, turning the pork 2 or 3 times.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a flat roasting rack on the pan. Put the pork on the rack, spacing the pieces 1 inch apart. Reserve the marinade.
• Roast, basting with the marinade every 10 minutes, for 30 to 35 minutes. To baste, use tongs to pick up each piece and roll it in the marinade before returning it to the rack, turning the pork over each time. The pork is done when it looks glazed, is slightly charred, and most important, registers about 145°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven.
• Let the meat rest for 10 minutes to finish cooking and seal in the juices. Thinly slice the pork across the grain and serve warm or at room temperature. Or, let it cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. This pork reheats well in a microwave oven.

CHAR SIU SO (CHINESE BARBEQUE PORK PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Combine all-purpose flour, 4 1/2 tablespoons margarine, water, and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; knead until a dough forms.
• Combine remaining 4 1/2 tablespoons margarine and cake flour in a separate bowl; knead until a dough forms.
• Wrap the cake flour dough around the all-purpose flour dough; roll out into a 8x16-inch sheet. Fold into 3 sections as you would an envelope. Roll into a log about 1-inch thick. Flatten to make a 4x31-inch strip; cut into 10 squares.
• Mix barbeque sauce and barbeque pork together in a bowl.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the center of each square of dough. Brush edges of dough with egg yolk. Roll up dough, sealing the ends. Brush the top of each pastry with egg yolk; sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Transfer pastries to the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crisp and golden, about 25 minutes.

CHAR SIU PORK (SOUS VIDE VERSION)

Steps:

• Mix all Char Siu Sauce ingredients in a nonreactive bowl and set aside.
• Place the pork chunks in a food-grade vacuum sealing bag and pour the ingredients of the Char Siu sauce in bag, surrounding the tenderloin.
• Vacuum seal the bag and store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12-hrs. The longer the better (up to 12-hrs).
• Using a Sous Vide, cook the tenderloin (in the vacuum bag with the marinade) at 139 F or 59.4 C for 2.5 - 3 hours.
• Once the pork is done cooking, remove it and set the remaining sauce aside in a small saucepan.
• Add 4 tablespoons of honey to the char siu sauce.
• Place sauce over medium heat and reduce to about half the volume.
• Using a basting brush, baste the tenderloin with the reduced Char Siu sauce.
• Baste the remaining sauce over the tenderloin and use a Searzall® culinary torch to achieve great char-color or grill for 10-mins @ 500F, basting every 5 minutes Remove when color meets your approval. (Remember, it's already cooked -- so don't overdo it).
• Let rest for 10 min then cut into bite-sized pieces to use in your dishes, such as fried rice or lo mein.