Honey Glazed Char Siu

Step 1

Remove the skin from the pork belly and cut it into strips about 2–3 cm thick and 35 cm long.

Step 2

Rinse the meat clean and drain off any excess water. Add the sugar, roast goose seasoning, MSG, chicken essence, chu hou paste, light soy sauce, lemon juice, white pepper, rose liqueur, minced garlic, minced ginger, and minced shallots. Mix thoroughly until no obvious grainy bits can be felt by hand in the marinade. Marinate for about 3 hours. If you are marinating and roasting on the same day, stir the meat once every 30–60 minutes so the flavor penetrates evenly.

Step 3

Skewer the pork onto char siu hooks, threading the hook through the lean portions only — the fatty parts loosen once tender and can easily fall off. Wrap the top end (the "char siu head") in aluminum foil.

Step 4

Place the pork in the oven over high heat for about 20 minutes. Remove, brush generously with the honey glaze sauce, and wait until the sauce stops dripping. Return to the oven over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove, brush with honey glaze sauce again, then return over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove one last time and brush with the honey glaze sauce before serving.

Notes:

• It is best to marinate the pork overnight — the longer the marinating time, the deeper and richer the flavor will be when roasted.
• Control the heat carefully during cooking to avoid burning.