Chinese BBQ Char Siu

Have you heard?  Chinese BBQ Char siu is being served in fast food restaurants and general restaurants in China. Anything you order as fast food will always come with some form of carbohydrate.

Bread (char siu wrap), noodles (char siu noodles), or rice (char siu fan). 

It is a Chinese dish of boneless pork seasoned with spices. To know more about Chinese Char Siu, read more! 

What is Char Siu?

Chinese BBQ Char siu is a dish consisting of roasted, grilled pork pre-marinated in a sauce containing ingredients such as soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine, and star anise. served as a main dish. The pork has been coated in a sweet and savory glaze and grilled on a wooden skewer or fork over low heat. Simmer until tender and delicious. In the early days of char siu, they used wild boar, pork, and whatever meat they could get their hands on. 

The name “char siu,” which literally translates to “fork roasted,” refers to the original cooking method in which the meat has placed on a long fork and roasted over an open flame to caramelize the sugars in the marinade.  

There are two things that distinguish char siu (sometimes called “char siu”) from other grilling methods. First, skewers change the way the meat is then grilled. Meat is usually placed on a hard object or griddle. You can remove some of the juices from the roast on the grill, but there’s still plenty of moist, steaming heat left in the drip tray. It is different from Char Siu. Instead, the meat is slowly and evenly heated from all sides.  There have been char siu for a very long time. 

History of Chinese BBQ Char Siu

According to historians, it wasn’t always a dish with pork. Instead, Chinese chefs would marinate almost any kind of meat in the classic char siu sauce before slowly cooking it on long skewers. In the past, char siu was also roasted over a fire. But nowadays, it’s frequently prepared in an oven or on a grill outside.

One of the most popular ways to use meat is to serve it in a steamed bun called a “char siu bao.” As a testament to the popularity of char siu, in 2011, it was further ranked 28th among the 50 most delicious foods in the world in a poll compiled by CNN Go.

Why is Char Siu so glittery?

To make it more lustrous and appealing, chefs often add an ingredient called maltose to marinades and glazes, a by-product of a starch called ‘maltose’. Although it is not as sweet as normal sugar, Chinese cuisine has employed it for more than 3,000 years.

Chinese BBQ Char Siu: Is It Healthy?

It is high in protein and low in fat, making it a relatively healthy weight-loss food. However, some dishes that include char siu can have a negative impact on weight loss as the extra sauces and ingredients add extra calories. 

Chinese BBQ Char Siu Recipe

Ingredients:

• cup of maltose (or honey, if you’re going for authenticity)
• Chinese cooking wine (also known as Shaoxing or Shao Hsing; alternatively, you can use any dry sherry)
• Hoisin sauce
• Spice powder
• Sour cream
• Sesame oil
• Chopped, crushed, or blended garlic cloves

Steps involved

1. Place a saucepan over low heat and combine honey, wine (or sherry), hoisin sauce, spice powder, soy sauce, and about 1/2 cup water. 
2. Stir lightly until the honey is well combined. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. 
3. Add the garlic and simmer until the mixture turns into a thick syrup, about 10 minutes. 
4. When it reaches a moderate hardness, remove it from the heat and add sesame oil. 
5. Let the marinade cool completely before proceeding. 

TIPS

• If you don’t want to make Char siu right away, you can store this sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. I love using it as a marinade for almost any meat imaginable, including chicken, beef, and turkey. 

What to Serve with Chinese BBQ Char Siu?

• Often, char siu is then eaten with rice or inside a cha siu bao, a type of dumpling. You may try both types of char siu at home by following the simple cha siu bao. Char siu is frequently offered as to-go food in Chinese restaurants so that customers can mix it with rice and other ingredients at home. With dozens of interesting additions, it serves as the foundation for many Chinese feasts.
• Different countries have different traditions for serving and enjoying it. For example, in Hawaii, “char siu” is a term for a general marinade and cooking process rather than the name of a specific dish. In Hawaii, you can buy meat such as char siu beef and chicken. This meat was further cooked with the same glaze and method as the pork char. 
• It is typically eaten with rice, though there are different variations.  Still, other nations have distinctive styles. 
• In Japan, it has braised rather than grilled or roasted. It is frequently present in ramen.
• A more traditional form of Chinese char siu is now practiced in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore, where it is then served with rice, cucumbers, and an abundance of black sauce.

Storage & Freezing of Chinese BBQ Char Siu:

Leftover char can be later stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop until they are warm enough. 

It is also useful as an ingredient in stir-fried dishes and soups, so it’s a good idea to always have it in your freezer. To freeze, place the chilled, sliced ​​BBQ pork in a freezer bag, making sure to remove all air from the bag when sealing. Freezes up to 3 months. Place frozen food in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, or soak freezer bags in room temperature water to speed up thawing. Just heat in the microwave or microwave.