Char Siu

With 60 first cousins on just the Huggins side, family parties are rarely small. It isn’t unusual to have 40 to 75 guests for dinner at our get-togethers. Cooking for that many people forces a bit of food-preparation creativity, and this char siu takes advantage of sous-vide precision to simplify the process. For a more traditional method, the pork can also be cooked and basted over a hot charcoal grill for deep, smoky flavor.

Ingredients

• 3–4 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 3–4 long strips, about 2 inches thick (see Notes for pork belly option)

Marinade:

• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup hoisin sauce
• ½ cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• ½ cup rock sugar, crushed (or ¼ cup rock sugar + ¼ cup white sugar)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (optional, adds depth)
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• ⅛ tsp pink curing salt #1 (optional, for rosy interior)
• 3–5 drops red food coloring (optional, classic look)

Glaze:

• 1 cup reserved marinade, strained
• ¼–⅓ cup honey

Directions

Marinate the Pork

Whisk together all marinade ingredients except the curing salt and honey. Reserve 1 cup of marinade, strain, and refrigerate for the glaze.

Add curing salt to the remaining marinade. Place pork strips in vacuum-seal bags or heavy zipper bags and add the marinade. Seal and refrigerate at least 8–12 hours, up to 24 hours.

For best flavor and color penetration, turn the bags occasionally during marinating.

Sous-Vide Cook

Preheat the sous-vide water bath to 65°C (149°F). Submerge the sealed pork and cook for 12–16 hours.

When done, remove the pork and transfer to a rack set over a sheet pan. Pat dry gently.

Prepare the Glaze

In a small saucepan, combine the reserved marinade with honey. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by about half and syrupy. Keep warm.

Dry and Broil

Let the pork rest uncovered on the rack for 15–20 minutes so the surface becomes slightly tacky. This helps the glaze adhere during broiling.

Preheat your broiler (or charcoal grill) to very hot. Brush the pork with glaze and broil 6–8 minutes total, turning and re-glazing every 1–2 minutes until lacquered with caramelized edges and light char.

Keep pork about 6 inches from the broiler to prevent burning. Final internal temperature should be approximately 68–70°C (155–158°F), though the meat is already fully cooked from the sous-vide process.

Rest and Serve

Let pork rest 5 minutes, then slice into thick pieces. Drizzle with warm glaze before serving.

Notes

Preparation

• Crushing rock sugar before measuring ensures accurate sweetness and easier dissolving.
• Optional curing salt deepens the rosy color but does not affect flavor.
• Turning the pork during marinating promotes even seasoning and color.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve over steamed jasmine rice or noodles.
• Pair with pickled cucumbers or a crisp slaw to balance richness.
• Excellent in bao buns or sliced thinly for fried rice.

Variations

• Pork Belly Version: Remove skin, cut into 1½–2-inch strips, reduce sugar to ⅓ cup total, sous-vide at 70°C (158°F) for 10–12 hours, broil from 8 inches away, glazing every minute.
• Grill Instead of Broil: Cook over hot charcoal, glazing and turning every 1–2 minutes until lacquered.
• Extra Caramelization: Increase honey in the glaze up to ½ cup for a deeper lacquer.

Make-Ahead & Storage

• Pork can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance.
• Sous-vide cooked pork can be chilled in the sealed bags up to 48 hours before finishing.
• Leftovers keep 3–4 days refrigerated; broil briefly to refresh the glaze.