Char Siu Pork Chop Recipe

Traditionally, Char Siu is skewered onto a long fork and roasted in an oven, and it usually takes a few hours to prepare. For today’s recipe, no oven is needed. This is my super quick, easy, and approachable way to make Char Siu Pork Chop in just 30 minutes.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

For the pork chops:
4 pieces (1 ½ pounds) boneless pork center loin chops, 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons avocado oil

For the marinade:
2 pieces fermented red bean curd (replace it with red yeast rice or red food coloring)
2 tablespoons fermented red bean curd sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons rose cooking wine (mei kuei lu chiew) (or replace with other cooking wine)
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon five-spice powder
½ teaspoon white pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup water

For the glaze:
2 tablespoons maltose (or replace with honey)
2 tablespoons hot water

Char Siu Pork Chop Instructions

To prepare the pork:

• To score the fat on the side of the pork, cut through every inch, so it won’t curl up. Then use the back of the knife to pound and tenderize the pork. Do the same with the rest.

To marinate the pork:

• In a bowl, mix in the fermented red bean curd (This provides a beautiful red coating on the char siu. You could also replace it with red yeast rice or red food coloring), the sauce of fermented red bean curd, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rose cooking wine (You could also replace it with other cooking wine, or omit it if you can’t consume alcohol.), sugar, five-spice powder, white pepper, and garlic. Whisk thoroughly.
• Transfer the pork to a large Ziploc bag (or a large mixing bowl), and pour in the marinade. Squeeze most of the air out of the Ziploc bag and seal it. Distribute and rub the marinade all over the meat, massage for 5 minutes, and rest for another 5 minutes (or marinate overnight for deeper flavors).

To cook the pork:

• In a pan over high heat, add the avocado oil (or other cooking oil). Place in the pork, reserve the marinade, and pan-fry for 30 seconds on each side. (I’m cooking it on a stovetop, but you could also use an oven or a grill.)
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the marinade and mix well. Over medium heat, pour the marinade into the pan. Cover the lid, and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
• Over high heat, uncover the lid to reduce the sauce, and cook until the pork is cooked through (The internal temperature of the pork is 165 degrees F or 74 degrees C.) Then pour in the maltose glaze (2 tablespoons of maltose and 2 tablespoons of hot water, or replace it with honey). Cook for 30 seconds until the sauce is nice and sticky. Serve!