Sous Vide Char Siu Pork

Tonight’s dinner is my take on that ever popular Chinese restaurant appetizer and staple in different dishes – char siu pork. I decided to make it with a pork shoulder using sous vide. After marinating the pork shoulder overnight, using sous vide will create a moist and tender result after 8 hours in the water bath. To finish, I hot smoked the meat over apple wood to create the delicious, smoky crust that makes this dish special. This recipe yields more than 1 meal so be sure to check out the serving options – traditional appetizer of sliced char siu with mustard, ketchup, and sesame seeds; pulled as a different take on pulled pork sandwiches; or diced/julienned for use in fried rice or noodle dishes alongside prawns, etc. With that much versatility, you know you want to give it a try and the recipes to follow!

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Sous Vide Char Siu Pork

Prep time: 12 hours

Cook time: 8 hours 20 mins

Total time: 20 hours 20 mins

Serves: 3

Ingredients

2 lbs pork shoulder
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp seasoning sauce or light soy sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp five spice powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp liquid smoke
red food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the marinade

Whisk together all ingredients except the pork in a medium glass bowl.
Place the meat into a large zip top bag.
Pour the marinade over the meat and turn to cover.
Roll the bag to remove as much air as possible and zip the top to close.
Place bag in a small glass bowl and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.

Cooking sous vide

When ready to cook, set up the sous vide water bath to 150 degrees.
Using the water immersion technique, remove the air from the zip top bag containing the meat and marinade.
Place into the water bath, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and cook for 8 hours.
After 4 hours, set the temperature to 145 degrees if you are planning to pull the pork.

Finish with smoker

Preheat the barbeque on High.
Prepare the smoker box with apple wood chips.
Remove the meat from the water bath and reserve the marinade.
Place the meat on the grate within the smoker and brush with marinade.
Smoke for 20 minutes over indirect high heat to create the glaze and crust.
Remove from the smoker and allow to rest 10 minutes covered lightly with foil.

Serving Option 1:

Slice the meat into ⅛ inch thick slices and serve with hot mustard, sesame seeds, and thinly sliced scallions.

Serving Option 2:

Pull the meat with two forks and serve on buns as pulled pork with additional hoisin sauce, sriracha slaw, etc.

Serving Option 3:

Slice the meat into ¼ inch slices and julienne or dice for use in fried rice, singapore noodles, etc.

Notes

Another way to potentially color the meat the typical bright red - add sweet and sour sauce to the marinade. I will give that a try at some point in the future when I do this recipe on a pork tenderloin.

Prepare the marinade:

Whisk together all ingredients except the pork in a medium glass bowl.
Place the meat into a large zip top bag.
Pour the marinade over the meat and turn to cover.
Roll the bag to remove as much air as possible and zip the top to close.
Place bag in a small glass bowl and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.

Cooking sous vide:

When ready to cook, set up the sous vide water bath to 150 degrees.
Using the water immersion technique, remove the air from the zip top bag containing the meat and marinade.
Place into the water bath, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and cook for 8 hours. After 4 hours, set the temperature to 145 degrees if you are planning to pull the pork.

Finish in the smoker:

Preheat the barbeque on High.
Prepare the smoker box with apple wood chips.
Remove the meat from the water bath and reserve the marinade.
Place the meat on the grate within the smoker and brush with marinade.
Smoke for 20 minutes over indirect high heat to create the glaze and crust.
Remove from the smoker and allow to rest 10 minutes covered lightly with foil.

Serving Option 1: