Chinese Barbecued Pork
The flavor of this barbecued pork is truly delicious and if you are the one assigned to slicing it after it's cooked it is very difficult not to start nibbling on it while you slice (just to make sure that it tastes okay to serve)!
Chinese barbecued pork is a dish unto itself, but it is also a very important part of a number of other Chinese food recipes. We use it in our Chinese Barbecued Pork Fried Rice, Chinese Wonton Soup and sometimes we use in our Cantonese Chow Mein rather than using a stir-fried pork.
It is extremely versatile. The barbecued pork can be served hot or at room temperature and I find it makes for a great snack, rather than nibbling on potato chips or other packaged snack foods.
Earl and I prefer to use pork tenderloin, although most Chinese restaurants use pork shoulder, for their barbecued pork, as it is a less expensive cut of meat.
Ingredients
- 3/4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce *
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, silver skin & excess fat removed
Directions
- In a non-stick sauce pan add the sugar, honey, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, five spice powder, sesame oil and the peanut oil. Whisk together and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 30 seconds and then remove from the heat and let stand to cool.
- Place the trimmed pork tenderloin in a heavy duty re-sealable plastic bag. When the sauce made in step 1 has cooled, fill the plastic bag, squeeze out all the air and seal. Squish the bag so that the sauce covers the entire tenderloin. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, best is to do it a day before and allow it to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- Heat the oven to 350° F.
- Place the pork tenderloin on a rack on a foil lined baking sheet. Save the remaining sauce in the plastic bag for basting.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Baste the pork tenderloin with the sauce, flip it over and baste the other side, place back in the oven and bake for an additional 12 minutes.
- Remove the tenderloin from the oven.
- Set the oven to broil, raise the internal oven rack. Baste the tenderloin and set under the broiler for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.