Char siu pork and slaw
Nothing quite beats good char siu pork at a Chinese restaurant. The sauce is ridiculously moreish and until recently, I'd always thought it was difficult to cook at home. Turns out I was wrong. Like any quality BBQ, it's all about the marinade.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8
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For the char siu pork
1.5kg boneless pork shoulder
2 tbps of five spice powder
2 tbsp of white pepper
3 tbsp of sugar
4 tbsp of light soy sauce
2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp taucheo (beanpaste)
2 tbsp chinese rice wine
8 tbsp of honey
For the slaw
¼ red cabbage, finely shredded
1 carrot, grated
6 spring onions, sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
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8 Brioche buns
After trying out a few variations, I came across this awesome recipe by The Meatmen and paired it with a simple slaw, which adds a bit of acidity to balance everything out. If you haven't heard of The Meatmen before, check 'em out now – they've got some insanely good dishes on their site.
Slice the pork shoulder into long strips and place in a large dish.
Add all of the other ingredients to the dish, except the buns of course. Now, roll your sleeves up and get your hands in there to mix everything together.
Cover the dish with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC.
Lay the strips out on a wire rack, leaving any extra marinade in the dish. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, before basting with some of the leftover marinade. Put the pork back in the oven for a further 15 minutes.
For the slaw, simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss well.
Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, transfer any remaining marinade to a small saucepan and gently bring to a simmer over a low heat. Let it bubble away for about 3-4 minutes.
Cut open the brioche buns and slice the char siu pork into thin strips. Divide the meat between the buns and drizzle over a litte extra of that delicious sauce. Top with a small handful of slaw and you’re done.