Chinese Barbecued Pork

When it comes to meat, this is one of my favorites!  And, it's one of the Asian dishes I fix around here that's wildly popular and a frequent request.  Anyone who eats at a Chinese restaurant is familiar with it and probably eats quite a bit of it.  Chinese Barbecued Pork....in Chinese restaurants....and around here, often served as small pieces on skewers.  Fondly referred to when done in this manner, around this house...and I've heard the term in Chinese restaurants, as well, as "Rat on a stick," or "Cat on a stick!" LOL  Whatever!  It's popular!  And I will often prepare lean "Farmer Style" boneless pork ribs in the same manner...less the stick.  I'm sure you'll enjoy this one!

INGREDIENTS
3 Pounds Pork Loin or Lean Farmer Style boneless pork ribs (Lean Pork)
1/4 Cup of Honey
1/4 Cup of Ketchup
1/4 Cup of Hoisin Sauce (I'll explain this)
2 Teaspoons of Grated Fresh Ginger Root (You may substitute with Ginger powder if necessary)
3 Teaspoons Minced Garlic (You may substitute with Garlic powder if necessary)
3 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Red Food Coloring (optional, but really adds to the finished appearance)
Bamboo Skewers (If you're going to prepare it on a stick)

NOTE:  Hoisin Sauce is a common Chinese sauce and readily available in one of many brands at local grocery stores.  Generally, I just buy it, however you can make it and keep it on hand, as well.  I'll share a recipe here in the blog for making Hoisin Sauce.  It's also easy to do!

Here is an example of commercial Hoisin Sauce:

This pork dish is one you want to prepare a day ahead of time, as we're going to marinate the pork, leaving it in the refrigerator overnight.  So, prepare well ahead of time!

MARINADE
Using a bowl, add the soy sauce, minced garlic, grated Ginger Root, Hoisin Sauce, Ketchup, Honey and Red Food Coloring.  Stir and mix well!  I usually pour it from the bowl into a large zip lock plastic bag, as it's easy to find space in the refrigerator and the meat will rest completely in the marinade.

PREPARE MEAT
If you're going to serve the pork on skewers, cut the pork loin into strips about 3/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long.  Trim excess fat.  If you plan to use the Farmer Style boneless ribs, just remove any excess fat.  Use a fork to "stab" the meat all over, which helps tenderize it and allows the marinade to penetrate better.  If I'm going to use the big Farmer Style ribs, I will even use a syringe and needle, made for food marinating and inject some of the marinade into the pieces of meat.  Now, add the meat to the zip lock bag of marinade and put it in the refrigerator overnight to marinate.  Leaving it longer won't hurt anything!

HELPFUL TIP:  If you are going to cook the pork on bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for about half an hour before using.  They will absorb enough moisture that they won't burn while on the grill.

Now, it's time to fire up the barbecue.  Get a nice bed of hot coals going to slowly cook your pork.  "Thread" the small pieces of pork onto the skewers and place them on the grill.  As an alternative, if using the pork ribs, place them on the grill.  You want them to cook slowly and completely, but don't overcook them!  Check them often and turn the meat or skewers as they cook.  This is pork, so use a meat thermometer to make sure you have an inside temperature of 160 degrees when the pork is done.  I prefer to save the marinade I used for the meat and brush some onto the meat while cooking.

As an alternative to the grill, you may also broil the meat in the oven.  I bake and broil around a lot around here, avoiding fried foods as much as possible.  Just remember, it cooks much faster and requires checking and turning more often.  Likewise, brush the meat with the marinade as it cooks.  A bit of charring on the outside of the meat adds to the appearance, along with the deep red color from the food dye and it will look like the pork you enjoy at the Chinese restaurant.  Steamed rice is a nice side dish to serve with your barbecued pork.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we all enjoy it around my house.  It really is delicious!!!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: stan.kain@gmail.com  Consider subscribing to my recipe blog here, so you get the latest updates when I add new recipes!