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We all love a good barbecue, but it can get a little boring cooking the same things over and over again. So, if you’re looking to spice up your BBQ game, then why not try this Cantonese-inspired char siu pork with greens and boiled rice?
You can make this on a barbecue on a warm summer’s day, or inside in the oven.
Serves: 2-4 depending on portion size
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients
Char siu pork
- 500g of pork shoulder steaks/belly pork/spare ribs
- Any of the above can be used
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. roast sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. light soya sauce
- 1 tbsp. dark soya sauce
- 2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp. red bean curd – this will be about 2 lumps from the jar
- 1 tbsp. juice from red bean curd
- 1 tbsp. Chinese 5 spice
- ½ thumb of fresh ginger chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- For a richer marinade, you can add 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
Chinese greens
- ½ Chinese cabbage, shredded
- 250g kale
- 250g pak choi, shredded
- 25g fresh garlic, sliced
- 25ml dark soy sauce
- 25ml sesame oil
Served with...
- Boiled rice – normally 60g uncooked rice per person.
Method
For the char siu pork...
- Mix all the ingredients together and blitz to form a smooth marinade. A hand processor is better for this.
- Place the pork joints into a zip lock bag with the marinade, and shake to cover. Refrigerate overnight or until needed – the longer the pork is in the marinade, the stronger the flavour.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius, or fire up the BBQ.
If using the oven, place a wire rack over your baking tray. Shake off any access marinade, place the pork on the wire rack, and put it in the oven.
Roast until cooked through and glazed (about 25/30 minutes).
If using the BBQ – place the pork onto the BBQ rack over red coals/wood and cook through until glazed and sticky. Be careful not to burn the meat due to the honey in the marinade.
Tip for crispier pork:
When the pork comes out of the oven or off the BBQ, chop into slices. Then heat a splash of sesame oil in a wok, add the pork (be careful of the oil spitting), and toss until crispy & glazed.
4. When the pork has been cooking in the oven or on the BBQ for 10 minutes, it’s time to start cooking the Chinese greens and boiled rice….
For the boiled rice…
- Wash the rice in running water to remove any excess starch, depending on rice being used.
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.
- Add the rice and cook until light & fluffy – normally 10/12 minutes.
- Drain the rice to remove any excess water. A cloth can also be placed over the rice to absorb any extra water if your rice is looking a little soggy.
For the Chinese greens...
- Mix all the prepped vegetables together and wash them. Drain and place in a clean cloth to remove access water.
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok until it starts smoking.
- Carefully add the sliced garlic to the oil, and give it a quick stir.
- Carefully add the vegetables to the wok and toss through until wilted. You may get liquid from the wilted vegetables – this can be removed or left depending on how thick you want your sauce to be. Finally add the soy sauce and toss through until glazed.
Tip: At this point, you could also add the pork to the pan and mix the flavours together – as below.
To serve…
Spoon rice onto a plate, then add the Chinese greens and pork slices on top.
Pork shoulder option
Pork belly option
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