Char Siu and a bit of chicken for tea - qview

[robgunby]

The year of the horse is almost upon us. Me and the wife don't really celebrate gregorian new year as it's one night of the year we can never get babysitters. However, my brother throws a huge annual party for Chinese New Year, and tradition is that I will bring at least one dish with me.

This year I decided to make char siu - Chinese bbq pork. I started with a mighty fine looking piece of belly (I was going to go for shoulder til I saw this specimen), and coated it in a ready made char siu sauce (worked out cheaper than buying the ingredients!) of honey and soy sauce with some spices, and topped it off with a sprinkle of trusty old five spice.

It's been snowing most of the day here, at the time of putting it on it was sleeting heavily. Beautiful day. 4pm and it was already dark, despite the sun still officially being up.

As I was doing a smoke, I couldn't not make something for tea, so I smothered some chicken thighs in a mixture of homemade butt rub and some tomato powder. Threw the meat on, all fat side up, with the UDS running at a steady 245 and a large log of mirabelle in the fire. Can't wait for tea!

[robgunby]

Sorry here is the q view


Got sidetracked by eating the chicken. Was delicious, the mirabelle giving a smoke not unlike hickory in intensity, with a rounded, sweet flavour, offset by the tangy rub.

Moist, tender, and a decent pink smoke ring. I love my UDS <3

[robgunby]

Five hours in and, as I'm judging belly by it's feel for doneness, I got tired of going outside in the pouring rain. I have a gutter that is awaiting the repair man and the water was coming off and dropping down my builder's bum crack when I was bending down to open and close intakes. The log had burnt out and it wasn't getting any more smoke, so it's in the oven now.

Reckon it wants an hour in the oven plus a blast to crisp off the bark and fat. Licking my fingers after putting it in the oven was exciting.

[robgunby]

embiggen http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7344/12226646623_8a56e3d782_k.jpg

[DJBenz]

Thanks for that, I'm flamin' starving now.

[keith157]

Looks nice, but Chinese New Year and all Char Sui is traditionally made with loin of pork, marinated in red spices and thinly sliced. But you get 9.5/10 for effort as I'd wolf it down anyhow

[robgunby]

It can be done (and is done) with belly and shoulder too, I was taught by a Chinese friend. The red colour was overpowered by the bark but I'm going to slice it and reglaze the chunks before roasting and throwing into foo yung and it should take on a new redness. Delicious!

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[YetiDave]

Good job! I'm doing some char siu style pulled pork today. Gonna deviate from my usual recipe a little.. Probably a thin coating of sriracha and rose water followed by five spice, white pepper, garlic powder and brown sugar. I do have the red colouring and maltose, but that'd be way too messy

[robgunby]

Real bummer, the re-roasting and saucing killed it for me. It was much drier, and the smoke flavour was overpowered by the sauce. People still enjoyed it and of course it was all eaten, but I knew what it tasted like fresh out the smoker. Ah well, you live you learn!