Cha Siu Kebab 叉烧肉 (Chinese BBQ)
Chinese Cha Siu is super delicious. Cha Siu cooked on a charcoal grill is divine! The meat is beautifully charred with a shiny glaze. You can smell the wonderful smoky aroma from afar. The kebab style BBQ is the best choice for your summer grilling party. It cooks very quickly and is addictively tasty.
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 3 tbsp honey ((4 tablespoons for a sweeter taste))
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce ((3 tablespoons light soy sauce for a saltier taste))
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
- 1/8 tsp chili flakes
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 thumb ginger (, minced)
- 8 clove garlic (, minced)
- 2 and 1/4 pounds (1 kilogram) meat ((options: pork shoulder, pork neck, chicken thigh, chicken breast, wings) (*see footnote 1))
- Bamboo skewers ((or metal skewers))
Instructions
- 1
Combine all ingredients for the BBQ sauce except the vegetable oil, ginger, and garlic in a bowl and mix well.
- 2
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat until warm. Turn to low heat. Add ginger and garlic. Cook and stir a few times until fragrant. Add the BBQ sauce. Cook and stir until the texture becomes smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- 3
Transfer the sauce to a bowl to cool.
- 4
Add meat to a ziplock bag and 2/3 of the sauce (*see footnote 2). Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Give the bag a good massage, so that the sauce covers the meat evenly.
- 5
Save the rest of the sauce in an airtight container and place it in the fridge. You will use it for the glaze later.
- 6
Marinate meat in the fridge for 24 hours.
- 7
(Optional) If using bamboo skewers, soak 8 skewers in water for 15 minutes.
- 8
Transfer the meat to a plate and discard the marinade.
- 9
If you are cooking pork or chicken skewers, transfer the meat to a cutting board and cut it into bite sized cubes (about 1 inches / 2.5 centimeters). (*see footnote 3)
- 10
Thread the meat onto the bamboo or metal skewers.
- 11
Add charcoal to one end of the grill and start a fire. When the coals are evenly lit, close the grill and allow it to warm up.
- 12
Place meat skewers on the direct heat (i.e. above the coals) and close the lid to cook, until nicely charred on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush glaze on the meat. Turn meat to cook the other side. Close the lid and let cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. If the meat is getting burned, move the skewers to the other side of the grill (the one with no coals under it) and close the lid. Keep cooking over indirect heat until cooked through.
- 13
Serve warm.
- 14
Place marinated pork shoulder or chicken thigh over direct heat and cook until nicely charred, about 5 minutes per side. Brush glaze on the meat. Move the meat to the indirectly heated side, cover the grill, and allow to cook. Check on the meat every 5 minutes and brush with glaze. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads 150 to 160 F degrees (65 to 70 C) for pork, and 165 F (74 C) for chicken, about 30 minutes.
- 15
Transfer the meat to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
- 16
Serve warm.
- 17
Save the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge or up to 1 month in the freezer.