10 why is chinese pork red Ideas

Below is information and knowledge on the topic why is chinese pork red gather and compiled by the monanngon.net team. Along with other related topics like: Char siu, Chinese BBQ pork, Chinese pork recipe, Char siu pork, Chinese pork on a stick, Chinese pork belly, Chinese pork strips, Sweet pork Asian.


BQ Pork Recipe

This Chinese BBQ pork recipe creates a melt-in-your-mouth food experience! Also known as char siu pork, this tender meat dish is a tasty combination of spicy and sweet flavors.

2 large Chinese barbecue pork roasts on cooking rack.

Chinese barbecue pork seems to be everywhere lately – and for good reason! It’s a Cantonese dish called char siu, which translates literally to “fork roasted.” Traditionally, the dish is prepared by skewering seasoned meat with large forks and cooking it over an open flame. While this recipe doesn’t involve any large forks or an open fire, you can use your BBQ to cook your own char siu pork at home. 

I first had this in a dim sum house in Hong Kong and later at my favorite, Jasmine, in San Diego, California. A lady would come by with a rolling cart of this beautiful, charred red pork and it was a dim sum breakfast must have!

My Chinese BBQ pork recipe goes great with noodles, rice, or vegetables like bok choy. You’ll want to use my Five Spice Powder in your marinade for the spicy punch I know you’re after. Before you get started, you may want to make sure that your pantry is stocked with these Chinese spices and staples!

side view: pork Char Siu on serving platter, sliced so inside of the meat can be seen

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

  • Boneless pork shoulder – Most char siu pork recipes call for a shoulder cut since it is fattier than other cuts. However, there are several more options that work just as well – you can find more about them further down in the post. 
  • Marinade – Your marinade is made up of sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, hoisin sauce, molasses, salt, Five Spice Powder (more on that later), white pepper, and sesame oil. These spices and sauces come together to bring you a flavorful marinade filled with heat. You can add a bit of red food coloring here as well if you’d like, but it’s optional. 
    • Shaoxing rice wine – A type of Chinese cooking wine made from rice. It has a complex and slightly sweet flavor.  
    • Hoisin sauce – A Cantonese sauce made from fermented soybean paste. It combines umami, sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors for a result similar to barbecue sauce.
  • Five Spice Powder – My Five Spice Powder is packed to the brim with flavor, and it’s a lot less expensive to make it yourself than heading to a specialty Chinese supermarket! My recipe boasts all of the five culinary tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. 
  • Honey – Use honey as a baste to add some sweetness to all of that spice. 
collage of 3 photos showing ingredients to make a Char Siu recipe (Chinese barbecue pork)

HOW TO MAKE THIS CHINESE BBQ PORK RECIPE

  1. Prepare the Meat. Cut your pork vertically into 2 long strips, about 3 inches thick. 
  2. Marinate. Combine all of the marinade ingredients into a small bowl and carefully whisk. Wearing gloves, rub the shoulder pieces with the marinade in a large bowl. Cover the meat and leave it in the refrigerator overnight, for at least 8 hours.
  3. Preheat.  Preheat your oven or grill to 500 degrees F. I like to use my grill to avoid filling my kitchen with any smoke, which can often happen with an oven. If you do use an oven, add a cup of water to your rimmed baking sheet to avoid fat dripping, which causes smoke.
  4. Cook: Round One. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a metal rack on top. Spray the rack with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Place the marinated shoulder on the rack, leaving space between pieces. Roast uncovered for 25 minutes. 
  5. Cook: Round Two. Use tongs to carefully turn the meat and roast for another 10 minutes. Turn again, apply the baste to one side, and roast for 10 minutes more. Turn over one last time, baste, and cook for the final 5 minutes. Pork should have an internal temp of 145 degrees F when done.
  6. Let the Meat Rest & Serve. Allow your Chinese barbecue pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Chinese BBQ pork recipe video

Want to see how to make the best char siu pork? Just watch the video in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

2 Chinese Barbecue Pork strips on baking sheet glazed

Why is Chinese Barbecue Pork Red?

Char siu pork gets its red color thanks to the marinade used to cook it. An authentic char siu recipe is made with fermented red bean curds (Nam yue). The red bean curds don’t have a lot of flavor, so it’s easy to prepare this recipe without it.

You can find this specialty ingredient in Asian supermarkets, or you can simply add a bit of red food coloring to get the crimson hue you’re looking for.

close up photo: thin slices of Chinese barbecue pork on a platter

What is Char Siu Sauce Made of?

If you’re in a crunch and don’t have time to prepare your own marinade, you can find the sauce premade in any Cantonese or Asian supermarket. It typically contains sugar, water, salt, fermented soybean paste, honey, soy sauce, malt syrup, modified corn starch, garlic, and various spices. 

It’s almost always worth it to prepare your own. Plus, you don’t have to worry about consuming those less-than-appealing ingredients such as modified corn starch and excess syrups.

Can I Use Pork Tenderloin?

You can use tenderloin for this Chinese BBQ pork recipe, but I do recommend that you opt for a fattier cut. This cut can sometimes be a bit too lean. The best cuts to use in this char siu recipe is pork butt, pork shoulder, or pork belly. In this case, the fattier, the better!

overhead image: plated Asian BBQ pork dinner with side of roasted carrots and broccoli

This post, originally published on Silk Road Recipes Dec. 01, 2020, has been updated with new content on Jan. 31, 2022.

overhead photo: 2 large pork Char Siu roasts

  • 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder

Marinade

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoon molasses
  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Five Spice Powder
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • Cut the pork vertically into 2 long strips about 3 inches thick.

  • Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and carefully whisk until sugar is dissolved and marinade is smooth.

  • Using gloves, rub the pork with the marinade in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.

  • Preheat your oven or grill to 500°F (See Note 1). Remove pork from refrigerator.

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a metal rack on top. Spray the rack with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Remove marinated pork, gently shaking off excess and place the pork on the rack, leaving and inch or two between pieces. Roast uncovered for 25 minutes.

  • To the reserved marinade add the honey and mix well. This will be your basting sauce. Set aside.

  • After 25 minutes, use tongs and carefully turn the pork. Roast another 10 minutes.

  • After 35 minutes of roasting baste each pork strip, turn it over and baste the other side. Roast for a final 10 minutes. Turn one more time and baste again. Roast for a final 5 minutes (See Note 2).

  • Remove from the oven/grill allow meat to rest 10 minutes before slicing.

  1. I like to use my grill or smoker to keep an even temperature and avoid the kitchen getting a little smokey over using the oven. If using the oven, add a cup or two of water to the rimmed baking sheet with rack to avoid fat dripping and causing smoke. Be sure water is not touching pork and check often to add more if needed.
  2. Pork should have an internal temp of 145°F when instant read thermometer is inserted.
  3. Recipe adapted from Woks of Life.

*The information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 907mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

titled pinterest image (and shown) Chinese BBQ Pork - Char Siu - Silk Road Recipes

Extra Information About why is chinese pork red That You May Find Interested

If the information we provide above is not enough, you may find more below here.

Chinese BBQ Pork Recipe + Video

Chinese BBQ Pork Recipe + Video

  • Author: silkroadrecipes.com

  • Rating: 5⭐ (388888 rating)

  • Highest Rate: 5⭐

  • Lowest Rate: 3⭐

  • Sumary: This Chinese BBQ pork recipe is made with deliciously tasty pork shoulder. Combined with a sweet and savory marinade, you can’t go wrong!

  • Matching Result: The pork is called ‘char sui’. Many recipes include red food colouring, because red is an auspicious color in Chinese culture. Without the …

  • Intro: Chinese BBQ Pork RecipeThis Chinese BBQ pork recipe creates a melt-in-your-mouth food experience! Also known as char siu pork, this tender meat dish is a tasty combination of spicy and sweet flavors. Chinese barbecue pork seems to be everywhere lately – and for good reason! It’s a Cantonese dish called…
  • Source: https://silkroadrecipes.com/chinese-bbq-pork-char-siu/

Why is the pork in fried rice red? – The Healthy Journal

Why is the pork in fried rice red? - The Healthy Journal

  • Author: thehealthyjournal.com

  • Rating: 5⭐ (388888 rating)

  • Highest Rate: 5⭐

  • Lowest Rate: 3⭐

  • Sumary: The Healthy Journal is a lifestyle website with gluten, dairy, sugar free recipes, interviews , health articles, natural remedies, food stores and vegetarian restaurants worldwide.

  • Matching Result: This is the basic version of the classic red pork meat you get in a lot of Chinese restaurants. Its a BBQ-ed pork meat also called Char Siu or Char Siew.

  • Intro: The Healthy Journal – Gluten, Dairy, Sugar Free Recipes, Interviews and Health Articles Why is the pork in fried rice red? You may be wondering why the pork in a takeout Pork Fried Rice is red in color. The reason for that is that the pork used in the rice…
  • Source: https://www.thehealthyjournal.com/faq/why-is-the-pork-in-fried-rice-red

Why is Chinese pork red? – Foodly

Why is Chinese pork red? - Foodly

  • Author: foodly.tn

  • Rating: 5⭐ (388888 rating)

  • Highest Rate: 5⭐

  • Lowest Rate: 3⭐

  • Sumary: You may be wondering why the pork in a takeout Pork Fried Rice is red in color. The reason for that is that the pork used in the rice is actually char siu,…

  • Matching Result: What makes Chinese pork red? … You may be wondering why the pork in a takeout Pork Fried Rice is red in color. The reason for that is that the …

  • Intro: Why is Chinese pork red? You may be wondering why the pork in a takeout Pork Fried Rice is red in color. The reason for that is that the pork used in the rice is actually char siu, a kind of Chinese BBQ pork with a sweet flavor and shiny,…
  • Source: https://foodly.tn/tips/5-1574/

Frequently Asked Questions About why is chinese pork red

If you have questions that need to be answered about the topic why is chinese pork red, then this section may help you solve it.

Why is Chinese pork covered in pink substance?

Char Siu is a type of barbecue pork that is marinated in a sauce made of five spice powder, hoisin sauce, honey, and occasionally red food coloring to give the meat’s outer edges a reddish or pink tint.

What causes the pork in pork fried rice to turn red?

The pork used in takeout Pork Fried Rice is actually char siu, a type of Chinese BBQ pork with a sweet flavor and a shiny, brick red crust on the outside, which may have puzzled you as to why the pork is red in color.

What kind of red meat is in Chinese cuisine?

This is the basic form of the traditional red pork meat, also known as Char Siu or Char Siew, that is available in many Chinese restaurants.

What causes red pulled pork?

Despite the fact that hemoglobin is frequently thought of when discussing the red color of meat, myoglobin plays a much more important role in meat color. Myoglobin is the red, watersoluble protein in muscle that is responsible for the pink/red color of muscle foods.

Can you eat pork blush?

In short, yes! Like beef, pork temperatures are designed to cook the meat long enough to kill E. coli, which means it may have a little color in the middle. We used to be afraid of pink pork because of a parasite known as trichinosis, but the risk of contracting it is virtually nonexistent these days.

Can pink pork cause food poisoning?

Pork should never be eaten raw or undercooked because it can harbor parasites like roundworms or tapeworms that can cause taeniasis or the rare foodborne illness trichinosis, which can have serious and even fatal complications.

How is pork made so tender in China?

Chinese stir-fries frequently velvet the meat by marinating strips of meat in egg white and cornstarch, drenching them in hot oil, and then stir-frying them. This gives the meat a smooth, tender, and silky texture.

Chinese food contains red dye, right?

The bright red food coloring may also be used on the outer layer of pressed dofu (bean curd) or fried small intestine. It is most commonly used on Cantonese roast pork, spare ribs, roast or dried&pressed duck, giving the meats a sugary glaze to symbolize luck, auspicious events, and celebrations.

Why is the beef in Chinese food red?

Red cooking (??) is a traditional Chinese method of braising meat, or even tofu, in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, and rock sugar. As the sugar caramelizes and the soy sauce thickens, the mixture turns a deep mahogany color, giving the dish its intriguing name.

Pork first turned into red meat when?

The USDA still classifies pork as red meat, and many nutritionists disagree with the designation of pork as white meat, so you might be surprised to learn that, prior to the 1980s, pork wasn’t typically considered white meat (and definitely never the “other white meat”).

Red pork: Is it undercooked?

Because pork can be cooked to the recommended temperature of 145°F and still be pink, any cut of pork that registers less than 145°F is undercooked, regardless of color. Therefore, just because your pork is pink doesn’t mean it is rare.

Raw pork is it red?

Pork is categorized as red meat despite not having a bright red color and even though it turns lighter when cooked because it has more myoglobin than poultry or fish.

Is red pork intended?

A: Pork is a red meat; meats are classified as either white or red based on the amount of myoglobin found in the animal’s muscle; the white meat concept was only used as part of a marketing campaign that started in the 1980s; in terms of health and nutrition, pork is considered a red meat.

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