DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Char siu
Also known as: 叉烧, 叉燒
Cantonese-style barbecued pork with a sweet, savoury glaze, rice and blanched choy sum.
About Char siu
Char siu is Cantonese barbecued pork. Bill Leung’s version comes from his father’s Chinese American restaurant cooking and is served with plain steamed white rice and blanched choy sum.
Sugar, molasses and maltose give the glaze sweetness, balanced by soy sauce, hoisin, garlic and white pepper. Five-spice powder and sesame oil add fragrance.
The pork has a glossy, caramelised exterior around a tender interior. Sliced pieces contrast with the soft rice and leafy greens, which provide simpler accompaniments to the rich glaze.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Sesame, Soy.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Char siu
Bill Leung’s family-restaurant char siu.
- Pork shoulderProtein
- Granulated white sugarSweetener
- SaltSeasoning
- Five-spice powderSeasoningIngredient page not linked
- White pepperSeasoning
- Sesame oilSeasoning
- Shaoxing rice wineSeasoning · Optional
- Soy sauceSeasoning
- Hoisin sauceSeasoning
- MolassesSweetener
- Red food colouringSeasoning · OptionalIngredient page not linked
- GarlicAromatic
- MaltoseSweetener
- WaterLiquid
- White riceBase · Steamed rice
- Blanched choy sumAccompaniment
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Pork shoulder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. First shoulder/butt cut retained; these are synonymous cut names in the source.
- Granulated white sugar: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Five-spice powder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Exact spice blend formula unspecified.
- White pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Sesame oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Sesame source-confirmed. Explicit sesame oil supports Sesame.
- Shaoxing rice wine (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicitly optional; first choice before dry sherry. Exact product formula unspecified.
- Soy sauce: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Soy source-confirmed. Ordinary soy sauce explicitly named; supports Soy. Exact brand/wheat formula unspecified.
- Hoisin sauce: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Soy source-confirmed. Own linked hoisin glossary defines fermented soybean paste base; supports Soy. Exact selected product’s other ingredients remain unspecified.
- Molasses: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Red food colouring (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicitly optional; exact colourant and carrier formula unspecified.
- Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Maltose: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. First listed glaze choice before honey. Upstream cereal/source and complete product formula unprovided; no cereal allergen inferred.
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Shared glaze thinning, roasting pan and replenishment contact/steam water and own plain steamed rice water consolidated.
- White rice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Own linked plain steamed white rice component fully expanded with water; broader rice candidate. Separate jazzed-up rice variants not imported.
- Blanched choy sum: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit prepared side; broader choy-sum candidate. Main link resolves to an ingredient glossary, not a full prescribed blanching formula, so medium and seasonings remain unspecified.
Origins & food traditions
Cantonese barbecue, represented by the Leung family’s Chinese American restaurant tradition.
Countries
- China
- United States
- ChinaCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Cantonese Chinese American
- Cantonese cuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.