Food Safari's char siu pork

This is the lovely, sticky, red-coated pork you see in Chinese barbecue restaurants – it smells divine as it’s cooking and the recipe is very easy.

• serves

  2–4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Char siu sauce is made from hoisin, rice wine, honey and sugar. It can be bought at most supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup char siu sauce
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• 450 g pork fillets, trimmed
• 1 tbsp honey

Marinating time 30 minutes

Instructions

Combine the char siu sauce, spring onion, five-spice powder and oil in a large bowl. Add the pork fillets and marinate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line the base of a baking dish with baking paper. Remove the pork fillets from the marinade and lay in the dish. Cook for about 40 minutes, basting occasionally and turning over halfway through the cooking time, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and brush with the honey while still warm. Cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Alice Storey and Georgina Larby. Creative concept by Belinda So.

Want more recipes like this? We recommend: 

• the food dept.'s crispy pork belly with palm sugar caramel sauce and steamed baby buk choy.

• A barbecued alternative: cumin lamb skewers.

• Pan-fried pork dumplings to start.

• Vietnam's infamous dressing: nuoc mam cham.

• Our guide to Chinese cuisine, plus 190+ recipes.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Char siu sauce is made from hoisin, rice wine, honey and sugar. It can be bought at most supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.