Braised Pork Belly Char Siu on Stove

 

Grilling char Siu is time-consuming? Yes, indeed!!

The marinating and cooking steps involved in grilling char Siu might take a lot of time.  In order to allow the flavors to seep into the meat, the traditional process involves marinating the pork for a few hours, often overnight.  Additionally, grilling might take some time, particularly if you want that distinctive char. And also create a crispy surface and smoky flavor.

You might say can make char siu, or Chinese BBQ pork with oven baking, or air frying. Oven baking produces an excellent crust and a balance of juiciness. Air fryer is the quickest way to produce a crispy outside and a soft within, although it might not cook as uniformly as oven baking.

Today I am sharing a super easy stove top version. You even get a lovely sauce to go with it, and the results are just incredible. It lacks charred or roasted flavor of charcoal because it is cooked entirely on the hob.  Trust me, this method is definitely a surprise for a taster, I had made it for few times. My family loves caramelized sticky coatings.

Depending on the recipe and pork thickness, cooking Char Siu on the stove without a grill usually takes 50 to 60 minutes.  The pork is first seared and then braised in a tasty sauce, finally, caramelize with the glaze.

Different cuts of pork can be used to make Char Siu, from lean boneless pork loin to fattier cuts like pork shoulder/pork butt. I am using skinless pork belly for this recipe.

If you love the traditional Chinese BBQ pork (pork Char Siu), you will absolutely love this easy pork belly Char Siu that can be prepared on the stove.

 

INGREDIENTS

800g SKINNESS pork belly

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 cubes red bean curd + 1 tablespoon liquid

1 tablespoon five spice powder

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp Mei Gui Lu or Shaoxing wine

½ tsp ground white pepper

1 tsp sesame oil, optional

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 cup of water

 Char Siu sauce

½ cup of water

2 tbsp honey

METHODS

1. Thinly slice the garlic and shallots.

2. In a small mixing bowl, mash the red bean curd with the liquid until there are no more big chunks.

3. Place the pork belly which I cut into 3 parts, into a deep pan. Put in the sliced garlic and shallots, mashed red bean curd and all remaining ingredients (except for the glaze ingredients) mix until combined. Make sure all pieces are coated. Marinate in the fridge for 24-48 hours (do not do less than this!), turning the pork halfway through to ensure even distribution of marinade.

4. Sieve the marinade sauce for braising later.

5. Heat up a pan with some cooking oil, searing each piece of the pork couple of minutes to create a beautiful dark color. Pour the marinade sauce into the pan together with the water. Bring it to a boil, covered and braise for 50 to 60 minutes at low heat. Or the chopsticks can be inserted into the meat.

Note: Honey marinade makes it easier for the meat to burn. Turn the pork two or three times throughout the cooking process. If the liquid dried out, add some water to let it continue braising.

6. Remove the braise Char Siu and the sauce separately.

7. To make the Char Siu sauce - add in ½ cup of water together with the honey to the leftover gravy in the pan, bring to a simmer and set aside

8. Slice the Char Siu into thin and bite-size pieces, serve immediately with steamed white rice and the remaining Char Siu Sauce.