Prep 30 mins · Cook 25 to 30 mins · Total 25 to 49 hrs (incl. 24 to 48 hr cure) · Servings 3 to 4 · Difficulty Moderate
For 1 ½ to 2 lb pork
The cut
1 ½ to 2 lb pork shoulder collar, also sold as pork neck or 梅頭
Cut into long strips, 1 ½ inches thick, 6 to 8 inches long
Loin is too lean. Belly works but reads richer, not classic
Marinade
1 ½ tbsp hoisin
2 tbsp Megachef oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 cubes red fermented bean curd, nam yu, ~15 g, plus 1 tbsp of its brine
½ tsp five-spice
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp chicken stock powder
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 small shallot, grated
Optional, ½ tsp red yeast rice powder for color, no flavor cost
Glaze
3 tbsp maltose
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp of the reserved marinade, strained
Score
Shallow cuts on both sides of each strip, ¼ inch deep, 1 inch apart
Helps the cure penetrate and gives more surface for char
Cure
Whisk all marinade ingredients until smooth
Reserve 2 tbsp clean before adding meat
Coat pork strips, bag, refrigerate 24 hours, 48 is better
Turn once
Temper
Pull pork from fridge 30 minutes before cooking
Pat lightly to remove pooled marinade but keep the coat
Make the glaze
Warm maltose, honey, and the 1 tbsp reserved marinade in a small pan over low heat until pourable
Hold warm
Roast, convection oven, canonical
425°F convection
Pork on a rack over a foil-lined sheet pan with ½ cup water in the pan to catch drips and prevent smoke
12 minutes. Flip, brush glaze
8 minutes. Flip, brush glaze
5 minutes
Char
Switch to top broiler
2 to 3 minutes, watching, until edges blacken in patches, not sheets
Rest
10 minutes on a rack, not a plate
Juices redistribute and the lacquer firms
Slice
Across the grain, ¼ inch
Brush with any remaining warm glaze before serving
Notes
Air fryer option
400°F. Same flip-and-brush rhythm at 8, 6, 4 minutes, then 2 minutes to set. Total ~20 minutes. Cut times by 25% versus oven. No broiler step needed, the high convection does it
Toaster oven option
Same temps and rhythm as convection. Cook in two batches if the rack is small. Crowding kills the char
Why nam yu
Fermented red bean curd is the flavor most home char siu is missing. Hoisin and five-spice alone read flat. The cube plus brine is non-negotiable
Why maltose
It's stickier than honey and holds high heat without burning to bitter. Honey alone works but the lacquer reads softer
Why pork collar
The fat striations melt during cooking. Loin dries out before the surface chars. Belly chars beautifully but pulls the dish toward siu yuk territory
Two-day cure
24 hours is the floor. 48 is where the bean curd, garlic, and Shaoxing fully penetrate. Past 72 the texture turns mealy
