May 16, 2017

Char Siu

Posted by HI Cookery under 05 May | Tags: , , , , |
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Char Siu

May 16: National Barbecue Day

Many people think that barbecues involve a grill. This recipe for char siu involves an oven.

Char siu, Chinese-style barbecue pork, is one of Islander’s comfort foods. After church on some Sundays, her family would go to Chinatown in Honolulu and buy a piece of red pork meat hanging by the Peking ducks in the windows of Asian grocery stores. Sunday dinner was simple: char siu, sticky white rice and a vegetable side dish (see Notes). Char siu is also chopped up as a filling in manapua (Hawaiian word for char siu bao—Chinese buns) or sliced as a garnish for saimin and fried egg noodles.

While it may be simple to buy it ready-made at the store, it is quite easy to make char siu at home. Meat is marinated in an auspiciously red sauce (which freaked out Highlander the first time he saw it in our refrigerator looking like something from a horror movie/insane asylum). It is then baked in the oven (which makes this seem more of a roast than a barbecue). Islander especially loves the char in char siu—the blackened parts of the juicy pork from being caramelized!

Try this baked BBQ recipe for Chinese barbecue pork as something different on National Barbecue Day. Char siu is also appropriate throughout National Barbecue Month in May.

Recipe

(Adapted from Foodland and Serious Eats)

Ingredients

  • 3-5 pound pork (loin, shoulder, ribs, butt or belly)
  • 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sherry or rice cooking wine
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
  • few drops of red food coloring (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce and sherry or rice cooking wine.

Stir in the sesame oil, Chinese five spice powder and red food coloring. Mix well. Cut up the pork and place in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for a few hours (overnight is best).

Remove pork from the marinade and let the sauce drip back in the bowl. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (easier for cleanup). Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for around 45 minutes or until the pork is cooked through (adjust cooking time for different pork parts). Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve.

Notes

 

 

May 1, 2011

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Posted by HI Cookery under 05 May | Tags: , , , |
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Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

May: National Barbecue Month

Although we live in Texas and appreciate eating the smoky, saucy Southwestern-style barbecue ribs and briskets, Islander is understandably partial to the teriyaki-types of meats that her Daddy cooks for the ‘ohana (family). Hawaiian barbecue chicken is marinated with a soy sauce mix that is sweetened with sugar (Daddy also stirs in pineapple juice) and seasoned with ginger and garlic, then it is grilled over hot coals or on a hibachi.  Hawaiian barbecue chicken and also beef and seafood are so popular as a plate lunch item in local diners and drive-ins that many of these island-inspired restaurants, especially on the mainland, have “barbecue” or “grill” in its name.  For National Barbecue Month, we have changed our blog name to HI BBQ posted Daddy’s special marinade recipe for Hawaiian barbecue chicken. Aloha!

Recipe

(Adapted from Daddy)

  • 2-3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
  • ½ cup soy sauce (we used Aloha Shoyu grand, low sodium)
  • 1 small (8 ounces) can of pineapple rings (we used Dole brand)
  • ½ cup sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 2-inch piece of ginger, grated
  • 2 teaspoons oil (we used Oils of Aloha brand macadamia nut oil)
  • 1-2 stalks green onions, sliced
  • 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Directions

In a large container with a lid, make the marinade by mixing the soy sauce with the juice from the canned pineapple. Sprinkle in the sugar. Mix in the garlic, ginger and oil.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Soak the chicken in the marinade. Top with the pineapple rings. Scatter the green onions and sesame seeds over everything. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Barbecue over hot coals or grill the chicken, basting frequently with the marinade. Garnish with grilled pineapple rings or green onions (optional).

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Notes

  • Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) to Daddy for his ‘ono (delicious) marinade recipe and to Auntie Maria B. for the macadamia nut oil.
  • Plate lunches in Hawaii include a meat or seafood entrée, scoops of rice and a side of macaroni salad.