CHAR SUI RECIPES

Steps:

• Put the pork in a roasting tin, tip over all the marinade ingredients and massage it in with your fingers (or use a spoon) to coat the pork. Cover and chill overnight.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Cover the tin with foil and cook the pork for 31/2 hrs, basting every hour. Increase the oven temperature to 180C/160C/gas 4, remove the foil, baste the pork and continue to cook for 45 mins until it is beginning to caramelise around the edges.
• Remove the pork from the tin and set aside to rest for 20 mins. Meanwhile, spoon away any fat from the tin and transfer the sauce to a small pan. Slice the pork – it will fall apart as you cut into it – then return to the tin. Warm the sauce in the pan, then pour over the meat and toss everything together. Spoon into the hot buns with the Pickled carrot & mooli, spring onions and a dollop of wasabi mayonnaise.

Steps:

• To make the marinade, put all the ingredients except the pork into a blender and blitz until smooth. Cover the pork neck with it and put it in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, take the pork neck out of the fridge and bring to room temperature. Set the grill in your oven to its highest setting.
• Mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and Sichuan oil together to make the dressing and set aside.
• Place the marinated pork neck on a metal rack above a tray, making sure it’s covered excessively with the marinade. This recipe has a high sugar content so when the marinade drips, it burns quite quickly. Make sure you line your tray with a baking sheet or foil under the rack to catch the marinade for easier washing up later.
• Once the grill is as hot as it can be, cook the pork neck for 5 minutes. Flip and brush more marinade over the pork neck and cook for 5 more minutes. Switch off the grill and let the meat rest for another 2 minutes in the oven. You are looking for an internal temperature of 65C. You should get a char siu pork neck with nicely charred edges. Take the fillets out of the oven and start preparing your cucumbers.
• Peel and cut each cucumber into 2 rectangles roughly 3cm x 7cm x 1cm. Sear the cucumber pieces on both sides in a hot pan, until the surface turns brown and juicy.
• To serve, arrange 2 pieces of seared cucumber on each plate, sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds, and spoon on some cucumber dressing.
• Cut the grilled pork neck into 5mm slices and equally distribute the sliced pork neck into 4 portions over the cucumber. Serve immediately.