Cheater’s Char Siu
What do you do with pork tenderloin on a wintry Thursday evening with a hungry family waiting to be fed? Since mine has been clamoring for siopao for a while, I asked them if they’d be interested in a char-siu flavored pork, but they’ll have to eat it with rice (allergies, yada yada yada)…. They said yes, and Cheater’s Char Siu was born. Pork tenderloins are not the best cut for this dish, as it contains very little fat, but if you do it really slowly, most of the moisture will be kept intact and you won’t end up with dried out pork.
2 pork tenderloins, about 3 lbs. total
1/4 cup minced garlic
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice blend
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
Combine all ingredients except pork tenderloins in a bowl. Pour over tenderloins in a deep bowl and turn to coat well. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so. Transfer tenderloins and marinade to a large saucepan or casserole. Cook over low heat, turning occasionally, making sure it stays just below the simmer, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fork tender. Transfer to broiling pan, and slice tenderloins crosswise every 1/2 inch or so, but not all the way. Top with a bit of the sauce and broil until nicely browned and a bit charred in places, about 5 minutes. Serve, napped with the rest of the sauce.
The meat can be chopped into pieces and used as filling for jing char siu bao (steamed) or guk char siu bao (baked).
Tags: char-siu, chinese-cuisine, filipino-cuisine, pork-tenderloinsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Beef, Lamb, Pork, Chinese, Filipino
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