This is classic Chinese barbecue, and it is damn good. This char siu sauce works well with any fatty meat. The spices, the heat and the sweetness really cry out for a rich meat to work with, so pork belly, shoulder or duck legs are ideal. My advice? Make a double batch of the sauce, and store it in the fridge. You will want to put it on everything.
1-2tablespoonsChinese black vinegar or malt vinegar(optional)
1-2sliced fresh chiles,for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make the char siu sauce by mixing all the ingredients except for the pork in a blender and pureeing for 1 minute. Pour into a bowl. Put the pork into a plastic container that will just about fit it, and coat with a little of the char siu sauce. Leave at least 1/2 of the sauce for basting later. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.
Get your grill going, leaving some space for indirect heat. If you are using a gas grill, turn off all but one burner. If you are using charcoal, leave an open space on one side of the grill. If you are using a smoker, set it to 225°F. Make a drip pan out of aluminum foil and set that under where the pork will be. You are looking for slow, steady heat here, never hotter than 300°F. Alternately, you can cook the pork in the oven at 225°F
Set the pork on the grill over the drip pan and away from the direct heat. Cover the grill and cook until it's tender, which will take between 2 and 4 hours, depending on how large a piece of pork you started with and whether it's wild or farmed. Baste the pork with the char siu sauce every 45 minutes or so. Turn the pork every hour.
To serve, cut into bite-size pieces and toss with the remaining char siu sauce. A splash of Chinese black vinegar or malt vinegar right at the end is a nice touch. Garnish with sliced fresh chiles and serve with white steamed rice, some pickles or fermented mustard greens and lots of cold beer.