I have always loved Char Siu (Chinese Roast Pork), but frankly had never thought about making it at home. I have been missing out! It is so easy, so flavorful, and leftovers are so versatile: it makes the best fried rice, ever! Don’t delay; if you are a pork lover, make this NOW! This is the most flavorful, sweet and sticky pork – and is very easy to make.
Check Ingredients & Timing
There are a few specialty ingredients that you might noy have in your pantry, so please read the recipe through and make sure you have what you need. In addition, please note that the pork needs an overnight marination. Do not skip this step.
Choose Your Ingredients Wisely
We take care in developing our recipes and then presenting them to you, to help you get the best results possible. Specificity is important period for instance, you will note that we call for gluten-free low sodium soy sauce. In addition to this, we recommend San-J, which is a very high-quality brand, and their soy sauces are naturally brewed.
Read this article, Are Soy Sauce & Tamari Low FODMAP?, to learn more about soy sauce and FODMAPs, and how to choose a quality product.
Some soy sauce is chemically produced and the difference between those, which are very low quality, and a traditionally brewed sauces is night and day. I cannot overstate this point. A chemically brewed soy sauce can literally ruin this dish. They are harsh, often overly salty, and have no depth or nuance of flavor compared to the naturally brewed.
Hopefully by now you are aware that there is such a thing as a low FODMAP garlic powder. Feel free to use the FreeFod or the Fodmazing brands.
Make sure your sesame oil is toasted sesame oil, and not plain sesame oil, which is not the same.
Although the Shaoxing rice wine is used in a very small amount, it lends a signature flavor. It has been lab tested by Monash University and has a low FODMAP serving size of 2 tablespoons (42 g).
Note that not all hoisin sauce is low FODMAP, but the San-J is lab tested and certified by FODMAP Friendly and it quite tasty! (We buy it by the case).
You Can Cook This Pork Over Charcoal
We have created this recipe to be made in a home oven. If you have a charcoal grill, and are an experienced griller, by all means make this char siu over hardwood charcoal. That will add a whole additional level of flavor.
How To Enjoy Your Char Siu
When freshly made, we enjoyed this with white rice and sautéed Chinese greens (I am partial to Chinese broccoli). Two times during the week we rolled it up within rice paper wrappers along with an Asian Slaw. And then, when there was just a little bit left, we made an awesome stir-fry with shrimp and tiny cubes of tofu. The Char Siu is also fantastic in soup. Here is a pic of our stir-fry.
FODMAP Information
All recipes are based upon Monash University & FODMAP Friendly science at time of initial publication.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar has been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. There are many kinds of brown sugar, from cane to beet (to blends) to Muscovado and more, which we discuss in our Explore An Ingredient: Sugar. Unfortunately, there is no information about what kind of brown sugars were lab tested. Monash gives us a low FODMAP amount of ¼ cup or 40 g but no further information. In addition, in private correspondence with Monash University we know that there are amounts larger than 40 g that would be considered low FODMAP. FODMAP Friendly gives us a low FODMAP amount of 13 g. Dark brown Muscovado sugar does appear in a product lab tested and certified low FODMAP by FODMAP Friendly, so we do know there is a low FODMAP amount.
- Honey: Honey has been lab tested by both FODMAP Friendly and Monash University. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Fail” at 2 teaspoons (15 g). Monash says that while clover honey specifically is only low FODMAP at ½ teaspoon (3 g), they state that honey is low FODMAP in 1 teaspoon (7 g) amounts.
- Low FODMAP Garlic Powder: Conventional garlic powder is made from dried and granulated, or powdered, garlic cloves and is considered high FODMAP. There are a couple of low FODMAP garlic powders on the market: FreeFod Garlic Replacer and Fodmazing Garlic Substitute Replacer. The FreeFod has been lab tested and is certified low FODMAP by FODMAP Friendly. Both brands contain the same ingredients – maltodextrin and natural garlic flavor. We find them to be excellent additions to your herb and spice collection. Use them as you would conventional garlic powder.
- Spices: Many fresh and dried spice have been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly and are easily looked up in the apps, which we strongly suggest that you have. The additional good news is that if you are interested in a spice that has not been lab tested, you can look at the nutritional panel and assess its FODMAP load for yourself. If the “Sugars” and/or “Carbs” are 1 g or less per serving, then the item would be a good bet to try.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Char Siu – Chinese Roast Pork
I have always loved Char Siu (Chinese Roast Pork), but frankly had never thought about making it at home. I have been missing out! It is so easy, so flavorful, and leftovers are so versatile: it makes the best fried rice, ever. Don’t delay; if you are a pork lover, make this NOW! This is the most flavorful, sweet and sticky pork – and is very easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons low sodium-gluten-free soy sauce such as San-J
- 1 teaspoon FreeFod Garlic Replacer
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) low FODMAP low FODMAP hoisin sauce, such as San-J
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring optional; liquid or paste
- 3- pound (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder/pork butt, (select a piece with some fat)
Preparation:
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and FreeFod Garlic Replacer until the garlic replacer is dissolved. Whisk in the hoisin sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, wine, five spice powder, and optional red coloring, if using. The honey might resist combining; just whisk until everything is blended.
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Cut the pork into long strips about 2-inches (5 cm) thick. Don’t trim any excess fat, as it will melt off, and you want it for flavor. Add the pork to the marinade and turn it over several times to coat. Cover with plastic wrap; you can also dump everything into a zip top bag, sealing the top. Refrigerate overnight. You can also keep the pork in the marinade for up to 2 days.
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Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 450° F (230°C). Line a half-sheet pan with aluminum foil and place a flat rack on top.
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Remove meat from marinade and pour marinade into a small saucepan. Roast pork for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring marinade to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes until thickened. It will thicken easily, quickly and look glossy. Reduce oven to 375°F (190°C) and roast or 15 minutes more, without opening oven door.
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Remove pork from oven and dab thickened marinade all over the pork. Roast 15 minutes more, remove from oven, flip pork over, dab marinade all over and roast for another 15 minutes.
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The meat should be charring a bit along the edges and become caramelized overall. If it is burning at any time, simply cover loosely with foil.
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Continue to roast until pork registers 145°F (63°C) with an instant read thermometer. Meat should be tender, but not falling apart. Rest meat for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with rice and stir-fried greens (we love Chinese broccoli), use in fried rice, soups, and dumplings.
Notes:
FODMAP Information
All recipes are based upon Monash University & FODMAP Friendly science at time of initial publication.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar has been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. There are many kinds of brown sugar, from cane to beet (to blends) to Muscovado and more, which we discuss in our Explore An Ingredient: Sugar. Unfortunately, there is no information about what kind of brown sugars were lab tested. Monash gives us a low FODMAP amount of ¼ cup or 40 g but no further information. In addition, in private correspondence with Monash University we know that there are amounts larger than 40 g that would be considered low FODMAP. FODMAP Friendly gives us a low FODMAP amount of 13 g. Dark brown Muscovado sugar does appear in a product lab tested and certified low FODMAP by FODMAP Friendly, so we do know there is a low FODMAP amount.
• Honey: Honey has been lab tested by both FODMAP Friendly and Monash University. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Fail” at 2 teaspoons (15 g). Monash says that while clover honey specifically is only low FODMAP at ½ teaspoon (3 g), they state that honey is low FODMAP in 1 teaspoon (7 g) amounts.
• Low FODMAP Garlic Powder: Conventional garlic powder is made from dried and granulated, or powdered, garlic cloves and is considered high FODMAP. There are a couple of low FODMAP garlic powders on the market: FreeFod Garlic Replacer and Fodmazing Garlic Substitute Replacer. The FreeFod has been lab tested and is certified low FODMAP by FODMAP Friendly. Both brands contain the same ingredients – maltodextrin and natural garlic flavor. We find them to be excellent additions to your herb and spice collection. Use them as you would conventional garlic powder.
• Spices: Many fresh and dried spice have been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly and are easily looked up in the apps, which we strongly suggest that you have. The additional good news is that if you are interested in a spice that has not been lab tested, you can look at the nutritional panel and assess its FODMAP load for yourself. If the “Sugars” and/or “Carbs” are 1 g or less per serving, then the item would be a good bet to try.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
We hope you try this Char Sui. You won’t believe how easy it is, and how versatile. Let us know what you think!