Char Siu Pork Chops Recipe
Char Siu is Chinese BBQ. Pork Roast or Belly is often used, and these cuts are marinated overnight in a sweet and savory sauce giving it a distinct red color and a ton of flavor. And for this recipe, I’m taking that idea and making Char Siu Pork Chops. For this recipe I’m using pork chops but you could use just about any cut of pork. Pork steaks would be really good cooked this exact way.
I combine fresh ingredients garlic, shallot, and ginger with Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce (Chinese bbq sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, sugar, and honey to create the flavor and a little Red Food coloring to give it that Char Siu color.
In traditional Char Siu red beet powder is often used and you can substitute it for the red food coloring if you can find in. My local grocery didn’t have any so I went with the red food color.
Once the marinade is combined, reserve a little for the glaze and pour the remaining over the chops. Refrigerate the chops for 12 hours so the marinade has plenty of time to penetrate the meat.
To cook the chops fire up a drum smoker or other bbq grill set up for indirect cooking at 325 degrees. Take the chops out of the marinade while the smoker is coming up to temperature to allow the excess marinade time to drain off.
Place each chop on the smoker and cook for 15 minutes then flip. Use the reserved marinade combined with 1/2 cup of warm honey to glaze the chops as you flip them.
Repeat this glazing process every 5-10 minutes until the chops reach 150-155 internal and a slight char is formed on the outside.
Serve the chops over steamed rice along with your grilled or stir-fried vegetables and you have a delicious quick and easy meal.
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Char Siu Pork Chops Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 Pork Chops
- 12oz Char Siu Marinade *recipe below
- 1/4 cup Honey (warmed to thin)
Char Siu Marinade
- 1 Shallot chopped fine
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger chopped fine
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Chinese 5 Spice
- 1/2 teaspoon White Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Red Food Coloring
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients and stir to dissolve sugar and spices. Reserve 1/2 cup of marinade for glaze
- Place pork chops in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over the chops.
- Close the top of the bag and move the pork chops around so everything is covered with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- Preheat Drum style smoker or other bbq grill/smoker for indirect cooking at 325 degrees.
- Remove pork chops from marinade and place on the cooking grate. Cook chops indirect for 15 minutes and flip.
- Combine the reserved 1/2 cup of marinade with 1/2 cup of warm honey and brush over chops. Flip the chops every 5-10 minutes and continue to brush with marinade. The Char Siu chops are done when the outside is charred and the internal temperature reaches 150-155 degrees.
Have a Question About This Recipe?
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Malcom – first of all thank you very much for all the great recipes and tips. Your site is my go to source for all things BBQ. That being said something is not working right with it. Ever since the videos have been posted searching and just general navigation on my phone had become extremely difficult. I hope it resolved soon! Thanks again. – Brian
we are working on a fix
Are you using rice wine vinegar as a substitute for Chinese cooking wine? Thanks.
Made this recipe. KILLER GOOD! The glaze is wonderful!
I’m going to do this with baby back ribs on my drum.
Question on the Char siu pork chops
You stated your cooking indirect but you placed them directly over the coals. Am I missing something
Thank You
I cooked them on a Drum Smoker – it’s indirect because there is enough space between the coals and the cooking grate to make it indirect.
Hi Malcom.
Your my go to chef when I want to try BBQ recipes.
Keep them coming.
My Question. With the use of food coloring for the char siu pork chops, could I use pickled beet juice, or would that be to much vinger? We appreciate your opinion. God bless.
★★★★★
Hi Malcom.
Your my go to chef when I want to try BBQ recipes.
Keep them coming.
My Question. With the use of food coloring, could I use pickled beet juice, or would that be to much vinegar? We appreciate your opinion. God bless.
★★★★★
Hi Malcom
My Question. With the use of food coloring, could I use pickled beet juice, or would that be to much vinegar? We appreciate your opinion. God bless.
★★★★★
Would this work on a pellet grill smoker?