Char Siu (Chinese Barbecue Pork) is one of the most popular and universal roast meat in Chinese cuisine, in my hometown, Penang. You can get char siu in any Chinatown, and you will be shocked how easy it is to make the char siu sauce that’s used to marinade the pork. Pork scotch fillet also known as Pork Neck, Pork Collar or Pork Neck Collar is an excellent cut of pork to make char siu. 

My family always love to order a plate of this sticky, sweet, and savoury meat to complement the kwonlow mee most of the time. Sometimes with rice and other savoury green dishes. My grandma used to make them for us when we were children. She would feed us under the table each a piece or two before plating up and place it on the table.

In Malaysia, it is served with wonton noodles which always arrived with several slices of this red “rimmed” meat and some green vegetables along with a small bowl of wonton soup. There are char siu in black charred type too in some restaurants and it’s really finger licking awesome for both types.

I am adding my blackened char siu to my bought shin ram yun noodle and to go along with it is bitter gourd egg instead of leafy green. That’s me, love to combine, create and explore the various ingredients as well as the method of making use of leftover char siu, fry bitter gourd eggs and add in to noodle with its condiments.

My lazy weekend brunch, indeed, satisfying, delicious and comforting meal for one. At the same time save time and getting rid of leftovers by heating up in microwave. I have included the char siu recipe for you if you don’t have leftover. Let’s cook!!!

Char siu ingredients

500 g pork scotch fillet, strip
2 Tbs minced garlic

Marinade ingredients

100 g brown sugar
2 Tbs Shoa Xing Chinese cooking wine
1 1/2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 Tbs oil
1/2 Tbs oyster sauce
1 Tsp dark caramel soy sauce
1 Tsp five spice powder

Other ingredients

1 packet of shin rum yun, follow instruction to cook
1 small bitter gourd, cut lengthwise, remove the seedling inside, sliced
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

Mix all the marinade ingredients, then add garlic and pork and marinate cover with cling wrap leave overnight in the fridge. The next day preheat oven 200 degrees C, line a baking tray with double foil. Place a metal rack on the top of foiled baking tray. Remove pork from fridge and marinade. Save the marinade. Roast for 15 minutes.

Removed from oven and turn pork over, brush the remaining char siu marinade on the pork. Continue to roast for another 15 minutes. Set the oven to grill and grill each side of pork for about 2 minutes, until each side become nicely charred. The char siu will look dark in colour.

Switch off oven. Let char siu rest about 10 minutes in the hot close door oven before removing and cutting to bite size. Meantime, fry bitter gourd with eggs. Once soft and cooked removed from pan and transfer to plate. Then put kettle on once boil pour it over noodle with condiments in bowl.

Microwave noodle for about 6 minutes on high until cooked. Next put some bitter gourd eggs on the ready cooked noodle followed by a few pieces of char siu. Enjoy!!!!

Note: Leftover char siu when cool complete can be keep in freezer in a container. Leftover marinade can be heated up until it bubbles and thickens. Drizzle it on the char siu before serving if you are having it with kwonlow mee or rice. I didn’t drizzle the marinade over as I am adding to the soup. Hence, it’s my leftover few pieces.

Char siu can be added in fried rice or in other soup. It can be eaten on its own with the heated marinade if you like it. There are also other recipe using fermented bean curd and red colouring. You can try them. I prefer mine blackened and charred. You can use pork belly if you like a bit of fattiness. I use pork scotch fillet. I am trying it in noodle soup for a change. You can add it to kwonlow (dry noodle).

https://helenscchin.com/2021/01/30/shin-ramyun-noodle-char-siu-and-bitter-gourd-egg-soup/

See my kwonlow mee with roasted chicken recipe for how to make it: https://helenscchin.com/2020/11/20/kwonlow-mee-with-roasted-chicken/

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