Char siu
Char siu is a Cantonese-style barbecued pork. Originating in Guangdong, it can be eaten with rice, or used as an ingredient for other dishes.
It is classified as a type of siu mei, Cantonese roasted meat.
Meat cuts
Pork cuts used for char siu can vary, but a few main cuts are common:- Pork loin
- Pork belly – produces juicy and fattier char siu
- Pork butt – produces leaner char siu
- Pork fat
- Pork neck end – very marbled
Cultural variations
Cantonese cuisine
In ancient times, wild boar and other available meats were used to make char siu. However, in modern times, the meat is typically a shoulder cut of domestic pork, seasoned with a mixture of maltose, Chinese rose wine and five-spice powder, along with a selection of other ingredients. These seasonings turn the exterior layer of the meat dark red, similar to the "smoke ring" of American barbecues. Maltose may be used to give char siu its characteristic shiny glaze.Char siu is one of the most iconic dishes of Cantonese cuisine. It is typically consumed with a starch as a main dish, whether with noodles, with rice, or served alone as a main dish in traditional family meals. Beyond these pairings, char siu is also a beloved filling in Cantonese dim sum, inside a bun,, or inside cheung fun as. It is even paired with pastry items like pineapple buns or puffs as.
The ovens used to roast char siu are usually large gas rotisseries. Since ovens are not standard in Hong Kong households, char siu is usually purchased from a siu mei establishment, which specialises in meat dishes such as char siu, soy sauce chicken, white cut chicken, roasted goose, and roasted pork. These shops usually display the merchandise by hanging them in the window.
Southeast Asian cuisine
In Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, char siew rice is found in many Chinese shāolà stalls along with roast duck and roast pork. The dish consists of slices of char siu, cucumbers, and white rice, drenched in sweet gravy or drizzled with dark soy sauce. Char siu rice is also a well-known food within the Chinese community in Medan, North Sumatra, where it is more often called char sio.In Singapore, char siew rice can also be found in Hainanese chicken rice stalls, where customers have a choice of plain white rice or chicken-flavoured rice served with their char siu rice, and choose from garlic, chilli and soy sauces.
In Thailand, char siu is called mu daeng and in Cambodia it is called sach chrouk sa seev.
In the Philippines, it is known as Chinese pork asado, but also referred to as cha siu. It is usually eaten with cold cuts or served stuffed in siopao.
In Flanders and Holland, it is sometimes mistaken for the Chinese/Indonesian name 'babi panggang'. This is a different dish. These Chinese/Indonesian restaurants also sometimes serve cha sieuw under the original name.