Honey Char Siu

Pat 500 g pork collar dry and cut into four evenly sized strips about 2.5 cm thick. Do not rinse raw pork.

Mix 3 tbsp char siu sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tsp minced garlic and 1/4 tsp five-spice. Before adding pork, reserve 1 tbsp marinade in a clean dish, cover and refrigerate.

Coat the pork evenly in the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight; turn once during marinating.

During the final 10 minutes of marinating, preheat to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan. Line a tray with foil and add a rack. Drain excess marinade, space the pork in one layer and discard the marinade that touched raw pork.

Roast on the middle shelf for 12 minutes. Turn and brush both sides with all the clean reserved 1 tbsp marinade, then roast for 10–15 minutes until the surface dries and begins to caramelize. Wash utensils that touched undercooked pork.

Use a clean brush to apply the remaining 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tbsp per side. Roast each glazed side for 2–3 minutes until glossy reddish-brown with lightly charred edges. The thickest part must reach at least 63°C; continue cooking if needed and loosely cover with foil if darkening too quickly.

Rest on a clean board for 5 minutes, then slice across the grain about 8–10 mm thick and plate. The glaze color does not confirm internal doneness.