I used to cook this Baked Pork using a store-bought ‘Char Siu’ Sauce. I usually boil chunky pieces of Pork until soft, marinate them with the sauce, then bake until browned. However, I didn’t have the ‘Char Siu’ Sauce today!!! I thought I had it!!! With no other choice, I made up a sauce adding more Sugar than I wished to use. The result was fantastic. I won’t buy the ‘Char Siu’ Sauce again as this sauce is easy to make and more delicious than the store-bought one.

Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

1kg to 1.2kg Pork Block *Belly, Loin, Shoulder, etc.
1 Spring Onion *optional
Some thin slices Ginger *optional

Sauce
2 cloves Garlic *grated
1 small piece Ginger *grated
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) Soy Sauce
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) Brown Sugar
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) Ketchup
1 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Salt *reduce the amount if the Pork is boiled in salted water
*Note: You can add 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice

Method
  1. Cut Pork Block into very large chunky pieces. *Note: Be aware they will shrink a lot.
  2. Boil for 1 hour. If you use a pressure cooker, it would take 20 to 30 minutes.
    *Note: It is your choice to add Salt to water, but I didn’t. I added Spring Onion and some thin slices of Ginger for flavour.
  3. Combine all the Sauce ingredients in a large container OR bowl, add hot boiled Pork pieces, coat each piece very well, cover with a lid OR plastic food wrap, and set aside for 2-3 hours at least. *Note: Leave them in the fridge if required.
  4. *Note: DO NOT waste the water that was used to boil the Pork. You can use it to make a soup.
  5. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper OR foil if you wish to do so. Cleaning would be easier if you lined the tray.
  6. Place drained Pork pieces on the baking tray, and bake for 10 minutes. Take the tray out, brush the sauce over the Pork pieces, then bake for 5 minutes. Take out, brush the sauce, and bake for 5 minutes. Repeat until nicely browned. *Note: Today I brushed the sauce 4 times.