Char Siu Sauce (叉烧酱)

Char Siu Sauce (叉烧酱) - kvalifood.com

Char siu sauce (叉烧酱, chā shāo jiàng) is the marinade and glaze used to make char siu (叉烧), Cantonese-style barbecue pork. The sauce serves two roles: a marinade that flavors the raw pork over hours, and a glaze brushed on during roasting to create the characteristic sticky, caramelized, reddish-brown exterior.

Ingredients

Marinade/sauce

  • 30 g brown sugar (or crushed rock sugar)
  • 30 mL light soy sauce
  • 15 mL Shaoxing wine
  • 15 mL hoisin sauce
  • 15 mL oyster sauce
  • 1 cube red fermented bean curd (南乳, ~15 g), mashed, plus 1 tbsp (15 mL) of its liquid
  • 1 tsp five spice powder
  • 3 cloves garlic (15 g), finely minced
  • 15 mL fresh ginger juice (grate ginger and squeeze), or 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

Glaze (applied during roasting)

  • 40 g maltose (or honey as substitute)
  • 15 mL hot water
  • 1 tbsp reserved marinade

Directions

  1. Mash the red fermented bean curd cube in a mixing bowl until smooth.
  2. Add the brown sugar, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, fermented bean curd liquid, five spice powder, garlic, and ginger juice. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is uniform.
  3. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture and set aside for the glaze.
  4. Use the remaining sauce as a marinade: coat the pork, seal in a bag or covered container, and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (24 hours is better, up to 48 hours for thick cuts).
  5. When ready to roast, prepare the glaze: warm the maltose briefly (microwave 10-15 seconds or warm in a small pan) until pourable. Combine with the hot water and reserved marinade. Stir until smooth.
  6. Brush the glaze onto the pork during the final stages of roasting (last 10-15 minutes), applying 2-3 coats. The glaze burns easily - watch it closely under the broiler.

Notes

  • Red fermented bean curd is sold in jars at Chinese grocery stores (common brands: Wang Zhi He, Fu Chi). It keeps indefinitely in the fridge once opened. Do not confuse with white fermented tofu (腐乳, fu ru) - you need the red variety (南乳, nam yue).
  • Maltose is sold in tubs or jars at Chinese grocery stores. It is extremely thick and sticky at room temperature. Warming it makes it workable. If unavailable, use honey - the result will be slightly less glossy but still good. Historically, honey was the original glazing sugar (蜂蜜叉烧 = honey char siu).
  • Five spice powder should contain star anise, cassia/cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, and Sichuan peppercorn. Check the label - cheap blends sometimes substitute filler spices.
  • For a deeper red color without food coloring, add 1/2 tsp red yeast rice powder (红曲米粉) or 1/2 tsp paprika to the marinade.
  • Hoisin + oyster sauce together approximate the umami complexity of a from-scratch lushui without the 90-minute simmering step. If you want to omit one, keep the hoisin (it contributes more to the characteristic char siu flavor profile).
  • This sauce is a marinade, not a table condiment. It is designed to be applied to raw pork before roasting. The flavor develops during marination and caramelization.