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Ultimate Golden Honey Char Siu

groups6 servingsspeedMediumcountertopsPrep: 750 minsskilletCook: 45 minsscheduleTotal: 795 minsoutdoor_grillRoasted
Allergens:warningGlutenwarningSoywarningSesamewarningMolluscs

Allergen labels are AI-generated and may be incomplete or wrong. If you have a food allergy, always verify every ingredient yourself.

Recipe details are AI-generated from the video and may contain errors — for reference only.

skilletInstruction

14 Steps Total

schedulePrepare in advance

  • circlePork collar needs to be marinated in sauce in advance for 6 to 12 hours (12 hours overnight recommended).12h
01
Preparation
00:00:47

Place a large bowl on the scale and press Tare to zero out. Add 300g white sugar, 15g salt, 15g chicken powder, 15g oyster sauce, 50g hoisin sauce, 15g sesame paste, 25g raw sauce, and 150g soy sauce. Stir thoroughly with a spoon until completely combined into a thick, glossy dark brown marinade.

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Watch out

All seasonings must be precisely weighed on a kitchen scale

guessing measurements can easily unbalance the sweet and salty ratio of the sauce

Ingredients:sugar (300 g)Salt (15 g)chicken powder (15 g)oyster sauce (15 g)hoisin sauce (50 g)sesame sauce (15 g)soy sauce (150 g)
Tools:mixing bowlkitchen scale
02
Preparation
00:03:27
warningStay safe

Hold the meat securely with curled fingers while trimming skin and cutting raw pork to prevent knife slips and injury.

Place 1200g pork collar on the cutting board. Trim off the skin and excess tough fat, leaving a thin layer of fat. Cut the pork into long strips about 1.8 to 2cm thick.

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Watch out

Keep pork strips uniformly 1.8-2cm thick

slicing too thin will dry out the meat during roasting, while slicing too thick prevents proper marinade penetration and cooking

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston butt (1200 g)
Tools:chef's knifecutting board
03
Active Cooking
00:04:33
warningStay safe

Wash hands thoroughly with soap after handling raw pork to prevent cross-contamination.

Place the pork strips into the bowl with the char siu marinade, then pour in 10g rose wine. Massage and rub the pork strips for 2-3 minutes until evenly coated with the thick sauce.

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Watch out

Massage the meat well to ensure the marinade sticks evenly

rose wine provides essential aroma and neutralizes raw meat odor, do not skip it

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston buttrose wine (Mei Kuei Lu Chiew) (10 g)
Tools:mixing bowl
04
Waiting Time
00:05:08

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate (around 4°C) for 6 to 12 hours (12 hours recommended for optimal flavor absorption).

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Watch out

Marinating for less than 6 hours will leave the center of the meat unflavored and bland after roasting.

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston butt
Tools:plastic wrap
05
Preparation
00:05:25

Remove the marinated meat from the fridge, uncover, and rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Turn on the oven fan mode (Turbo Grilling) and preheat to 160°C-180°C (160°C recommended).

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Watch out

Do not put cold meat directly into the oven

cold meat drops oven temperature, causing uneven cooking and dry texture

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston butt
Tools:oven
06
Preparation
00:06:17

In a small bowl, combine 100g maltose, 15g hot water, and 2.5g salt. Stir with a spoon until the maltose completely dissolves into a smooth syrup.

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Watch out

Always add salt to the maltose glaze

a pinch of salt balances sweetness and enhances savory depth

Ingredients:maltose (100 g)hot water (15 g)Salt (2.5 g)
Tools:bowl
07
Preparation
00:06:27

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Thread metal skewers horizontally through the pork strips to elevate them above the pan.

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Watch out

Pork must be elevated on skewers/rack

laying meat directly on the pan bottom steams the meat in pools of juice instead of roasting

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston butt
Tools:baking trayaluminum foilmetal skewers
08
Active Cooking
00:07:31
warningStay safe

Always wear oven mitts when handling hot baking trays to prevent severe burns.

Using oven mitts, place the baking tray into the middle rack of the oven. Roast at medium heat (160°C-180°C, 160°C recommended) for 30 minutes until sauce sets and oil starts dripping.

local_fire_departmentMedium heat (160°C-180°C), roast for 30 minutes
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Watch out

Monitor meat surface closely

if edges brown too quickly, lower the oven temperature by 10°C

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston butt
Tools:oven mitts
09
Active Cooking
00:07:48
warningStay safe

The tray and dripping fat are extremely hot; take care not to touch tray edges while glazing.

Carefully remove tray onto a heat-proof surface. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat both sides of the char siu with a thin layer of maltose syrup until shiny.

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Watch out

Apply the glaze thinly and evenly

overly thick sugar coating burns easily into bitter black spots during the second roast

Ingredients:maltose
Tools:pastry brush
10
Active Cooking
00:08:06

Increase oven temperature to high heat (180°C). Return the glazed char siu to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until caramelized with slightly charred edges.

local_fire_departmentHigh heat (180°C), bake for 15 minutes
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Watch out

Watch closely through oven glass during the last 5 minutes

stop roasting as soon as charred edges form to prevent over-burning

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston butt
Tools:oven
11
Active Cooking
00:08:15
warningStay safe

Skewers are burning hot; use tongs or thick towels to pull them out. Hold the hot meat steady while slicing to prevent knife slips.

Remove char siu from oven and rest for 5 minutes to seal in juices. Remove metal skewers and slice pork evenly into 0.8-1cm thick pieces using a sharp knife.

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Watch out

Do not slice char siu immediately upon exiting oven, otherwise meat juices will leak out and make it dry

resting 5 mins locks in moisture

Ingredients:pork shoulder or Boston butt
Tools:chef's knifeTongs
12
Active Cooking
00:09:20

Place 1 washed bamboo leaf onto a serving platter. Arrange the sliced honey char siu neatly in an overlapping row on top of the leaf, serve hot.

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Watch out

Plate and serve char siu while still warm

cooling allows pork fat to congeal and compromises tender texture

Ingredients:bamboo leaf (1 piece)
Tools:serving plate
13
Active Cooking
00:10:04

Make raw sauce base: In a bowl, combine 25g red bean curd, 100g hoisin sauce, 10g sesame paste, and 25g oyster sauce. Mash and stir until smooth.

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Watch out

Ensure red fermented bean curd is mashed completely smooth, otherwise salty lumps will remain in the sauce.

Ingredients:red fermented bean curd (25 g)hoisin sauce (100 g)sesame sauce (10 g)oyster sauce (25 g)
Tools:mixing bowl
14
Active Cooking
00:10:16
warningStay safe

Watch for hot oil splatters when frying aromatics; pour hot oil carefully to avoid burns.

Mince 30g garlic and 30g shallots in a food processor separately. Heat 60g oil in a pan, fry garlic till golden then strain, then fry shallots till golden then strain. Pour hot infused oil and crispy garlic/shallots into the raw sauce base and stir well.

local_fire_departmentMedium-low heat, fry for 3-5 minutes
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Watch out

Do not overheat oil when frying garlic and shallots

strain immediately once light golden brown to avoid bitter scorched flavor

Ingredients:Garlic (30 g)shallot (30 g)Cooking oil (60 g)
Tools:Frying panstrainerfood processor

groceryAll Ingredients

pork shoulder or Boston butt1200 g
sugar300 g
Salt17.5 g
chicken powder15 g
oyster sauce40 g
hoisin sauce150 g
sesame sauce25 g
red fermented bean curd25 g
soy sauce150 g
rose wine (Mei Kuei Lu Chiew)10 g
maltose100 g
hot water15 g
Garlic30 g
shallot30 g
Cooking oil60 g
bamboo leaf1 piece

blenderAll Tools Needed

mixing bowlkitchen scalechef's knifecutting boardplastic wrapovenbowlbaking trayaluminum foilmetal skewersoven mittspastry brushTongsserving plateFrying panstrainerfood processor