Char Siu

Cantonese BBQ pork glazed with honey and hoisin, roasted until caramelised, sticky and slightly charred at the edges.

Char siu — Cantonese BBQ pork — is one of the defining flavours of the Chinese diaspora worldwide. The name means fork-roasted, referring to the long forks used to hold pork over charcoal. The dish has been eaten in Guangdong province for centuries and spread globally with Cantonese emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. The characteristic red colour traditionally came from red fermented tofu — food colouring is a modern shortcut. The caramelised, slightly charred edges are the most prized part. In Hong Kong roast meat shops (siu mei), whole char siu hangs in the window as both advertisement and art.

Use pork neck (collar) — not loin or belly. Marinate for 2 days minimum. The char at the edges is not burning — it is the goal.