Char Siu

Along with wonton noodle soup, char siu is the Cantonese people's greatest contribution to mankind. Char siu is often translated as Chinese barbecue pork, but these days hardly anyone skewers the pork and cooks it over an open fire. Rather, the name has stuck because the outside of char siu is blackened from roasting.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pounds pork belly, unsliced
2. 2 tablespoons rice wine
3. 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
4. 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
5. 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
6. 3 cloves garlic, minced
7. 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
8. 1/2 teaspoon 5-spice powder
9. 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together rice wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, garlic, hoisin sauce, and 5-spice powder. Rub pork belly with marinade mixture and marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 325° F. Rub excess marinade off pork belly (but don't rub it all off!) and place in a roasting pan. Roast pork for 40 to 45 minutes, flipping the pork belly over after 20 minutes and brushing honey on the surface. The pork is done when the outsides begin to crisp and blacken, and center of the pork belly strip feels as firm as a tight fist.
3. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice roast pork into thin pieces. Serve with rice or noodles.

Notes