Barbecue char siu roast pork with gai lan

This char siu pork is marinated overnight, charred until deeply coloured, then roasted and soaked in a glossy sweet syrup before serving with blanched gai lan. Rich, savoury and gently sweet, the barbecue char siu roast pork comes with a silky glaze and a fresh vegetable side that keeps every bite balanced and satisfying.

By Andrew Wong
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

---

This recipe receives a Nutri-Score D because the pork is rich, and the marinade, syrup and glaze add substantial sugar, so this is an indulgent dish. The gai lan and wood ear mushroom salad bring freshness and texture, but the overall recipe remains sweet, savoury and energy-dense.

Estimated nutrition (per serving, 4): kcal ~820–960, fat ~36–46g, saturated fat ~11–15g, carbs ~58–70g, sugars ~34–44g, fibre ~4–6g, protein ~34–40g.

---

---

---

Method

Marinate pork overnight (prep ahead: overnight)

1. Trim the pork. To make the char siu pork, trim the secreto of any excess fat or sinew and set aside. This helps the pork marinate evenly and roast well later.
2. Blend the marinade until smooth. Put the sugar, light soy sauce, bicarbonate of soda, Chu Hau sauce, cornflour, water, oil, rosé wine, garlic powder, red food colouring and star anise powder in a bowl. Blend with a hand blender until smooth. This creates the sweet, savoury char siu marinade that gives the pork its glossy finish.
3. Coat and chill overnight. Put the pork in a dish or non-reactive container. Pour over the marinade, making sure the pork is fully coated and submerged. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight. Overnight marinating lets the barbecue char siu roast pork take on deep flavour and colour.

Char and roast pork (cook: 45–60 mins)

1. Dry the pork and preheat the oven. The next day, remove the pork from the marinade and let any excess drip off. Discard the used marinade. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Drying the pork helps it char properly before roasting.
2. Char the outside in a hot pan or barbecue. Heat a frying pan until very hot. Carefully add the pork, in batches if needed, and char well all over. Don’t add oil, as the aim is to colour the outside of the pork. Alternatively, char the pork on a hot barbecue. This gives the char siu pork its smoky, caramelised surface.
3. Roast until cooked through. Transfer the pork to a roasting tray and roast until cooked through. The pork is cooked when a skewer inserted into the thickest part releases clear juices with no trace of pink. Set aside. Roasting finishes the barbecue char siu roast pork gently so it stays juicy.

Make sugar syrup (cook: 10–15 mins)

1. Boil the syrup ingredients. To make the char siu sugar syrup, put all the ingredients and 60g/2¼oz water in a saucepan. Bring the syrup to the boil over a high heat. Handle carefully, as boiling sugar is extremely hot.
2. Simmer until thickened. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened. Set aside to cool slightly. This syrup soaks into the pork and adds the signature sweetness of barbecue char siu roast pork.
3. Soak the pork in syrup. Put the cooked pork in a bowl or tray and pour over the cooled sugar syrup. Leave the pork in the syrup until ready to serve. This keeps the pork glossy and sweet.

Make char siu glaze (cook: 10–15 mins)

1. Simmer glaze ingredients. To make the char siu glaze, put all the ingredients in a large saucepan with 85g/3oz water. Bring to the boil over a high heat. The sugar, honey and soy create a sticky glaze for the barbecue char siu roast pork.
2. Reduce to a thick glaze. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly, stirring around the edges of the pan so the sugar doesn’t catch and burn. Cook until reduced to a thick glaze, then set aside until ready to serve. The glaze gives the pork its final glossy coating.

Prepare wood ear mushroom salad (cook: 5–10 mins)

1. Rehydrate mushrooms if needed. For the wood ear mushroom salad, if using dried wood ear mushrooms, soak them in cold water until rehydrated, then drain well. This gives the salad its springy texture.
2. Heat garlic mixture with hot oil. Put the garlic, spring onions, red chilli, sesame seeds and chilli flakes in a large heatproof bowl. Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan until smoking. Carefully ladle the hot oil over the garlic mixture a little at a time, letting it sizzle and cook the raw garlic. This creates a fragrant, punchy salad dressing.
3. Dress and rest the salad. Stir in the Chinkiang vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, red Chinese vinegar and chicken powder. Add the wood ear mushrooms and sliced red onion. Mix well, then leave to stand for 5–10 minutes before serving. This lets the wood ear mushroom salad absorb the dressing fully.

Blanch gai lan and serve (finish: 5 mins)

1. Blanch the gai lan. For the Chinese broccoli, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the gai lan and blanch until just cooked. Drain and immediately transfer to ice-cold water to stop it overcooking. Drain again before serving. This keeps the gai lan bright green and crisp-tender.
2. Slice pork and plate. To serve, remove each piece of pork from the sugar syrup and slice to the desired thickness. Place the sliced pork on a plate and pour over the char siu glaze. Serve alongside pieces of gai lan and the wood ear mushroom salad. Steamed rice served in a separate bowl. The glossy pork, fresh greens and fragrant salad make a complete barbecue char siu roast pork meal.

Helpful tip: Char the pork in a very hot pan without oil so the surface colours quickly before roasting. That step is key to the deep, lacquered finish that makes barbecue char siu roast pork so appealing.

• Can I use another cut of pork? Yes; pork shoulder or pork belly can work, but Spanish secreto gives a great balance of fat and tenderness for char siu pork.
• Can I make the glaze ahead of time? Yes; make it in advance and reheat gently before serving the barbecue char siu roast pork.
• Can I use another green vegetable instead of gai lan? Yes; pak choi or tenderstem broccoli works well, but gai lan gives the classic finish.