Tuesday 15 March 2011

Char Siu Pao (Roast Pork Bun)

Char shau buns

This is classic Dim Sum dish.

Basically, it's a steamed bun stuffed with Char Siu (Roast Pork with Chinese BBQ sauce).

What is Char Siu 叉燒 ?

Char Siu (also spelled Cha Siu, Chashao, and Char Siew), otherwise known as barbecued meat (usually pork) in China or Chinese-flavored barbecued meat outside China, is a popular way to flavor and prepare pork in Cantonese cuisine.

"Char siu" literally means "fork burn/roast" (Char being fork (both noun and verb) and siu being burn/roast) after the traditional cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.

The meat, typically a shoulder cut of domestic pork (although in ancient times wild boar and other available meats were also used), is seasoned with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu (red), dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red food colouring (not a traditional ingredient but very common in today's preparations) and sherry or rice wine (optional). These seasonings turn the exterior layer of the meat dark red, similar to the "smoke ring" of American barbecues. Maltose may be used to give char siu its characteristic shiny glaze.

Char siu is typically consumed with starch, whether inside a bun (cha siu baau), with noodles (cha siu mein), or with rice (cha siu fan) in fast food establishments, or served alone as a centerpiece or main dish in traditional family dining establishments. If it is purchased outside of a restaurant, it is usually taken home and used as one ingredient in various complex entrees consumed at family meals.
Recommended ?

Yes. It's one of the Dim Sum favorites. But for non-Chinese who are used to baked food, I'd recommend the baked version of Char Siu Pao instead. Usually, they just call the baked Char Siu Pao as "Siu Pao".

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