Unlike American BBQ, high heat and a short roasting time are crucial when cooking char siu. The pork will be sliced after cooking, not shredded. The high heat creates a crust on the surface so that the char siu does not fall apart when sliced. The meat should be firm with just a touch of chewiness and it should not have the appearance and mouth feel of overcooked meat. Note: Ovens behave differently. If yours hadn't been calibrated in a long time (or not at all), the temperature reading may not be accurate. Adjust the temperature as needed during the entire roasting time using the progress of the browning of the surface of the meat as a guide.No red food color is used in this recipe.
Rinse the pork, pat dry with paper towels and place in a shallow bowl.
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved.
Pour the marinade over the pork then massage into the meat.
Cover the bowl and keep in the fridge overnight. For bette results, turn the pork over midway.
Roast the pork
Preheat the oven to 420F.
Place a rack over a tray and position the pork on the rack (reserve the marinade left in the bowl where the pork had soaked).
Pour an inch of water into the tray.
Roast the pork for 15 minutes, turn it over and roast for another 15 minutes at 400F (if the pork is well browned after the first 15 minutes, roast at 375F instead of 400F for the next 15 minutes).
Take the pork out of the oven and brush the surface with the marinade-honey mixture.
Turn down the heat to 375F (if you haven't already) and roast the pork for another 20 minutes.
Rest the pork and slice
Take the tray out of the oven and place a foil tent loosely over the pork. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Transfer the char siu to a cutting board and slice.