Closest to authentic I've found, even has the actual darker more genuine color than the usual bright red restaurant versions. I do add (4) 1/4" thick fresh ginger coins, smashed and chopped, to the sauce before cooking. I've even had to make it without the Hoisin sauce (none on hand, and no black bean sauce to make any) , and it still came out great.
You can also use "country style pork ribs" for this - they're nothing more than pork butt (shoulder) cut in ~2 square strips.
For leaner diets, use a pork tenderloin or thick cut boneless pork chops, taking an extra step to brine them before marinading, to keep them moist and juicy. Also, I find that the soy sauce adds enough salt, you don't need the kosher salt at the end (especially if you've brined the pork first).
For those who don't want (or can't) use a grill for this [I only have a pellet smoker/grill at home, and don't want the smoke flavor], you can still do this quite well in the oven. To do so, simply use a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment, and lay them out on a lightly greased rack - cooking oil spray is great for this. Bake at 275º for 2 hours, basting them every 20 minutes with the sauce (6 times), and turning them every other baste (3 times). Be sure to get the sides when basting.
They will cook better, without the bottoms getting soggy (even with turning), if you raise the rack off of the sheet pan by about 2", either using small drinking glasses or similar, or racks with fold-out legs. This all
This is a great dish if you are looking for a tasty Chinese style BBQ! I followed directions as written, leaving out only the cayenne pepper so my 2 year old could eat it. I marinaded these overnight. Delicious. My go-to recipe for Chinese BBQ! Thanks for another hit, Chef John.
I was pleasantly surprised with how good this turned out. While it didn't taste exactly as the bbq pork from Chinatown tastes, it is a more than worthy substitute. I made my marinade with oyster sauce (which is slightly sweeter) instead of hoisin because I never have hoisin on hand. I did not use dye, and I put about half a cup of sauce to side. With the rest I marinated 3 lbs of country ribs for 24 hours. I baked this at 325 for 2 hours then used the remaining sauce to glaze it every 20 minutes or so until it reached 170. Next time I would put aside more sauce because it was pretty delicious. My kids and I snacked on this plain and kept going back for more. With what we had left I made fried rice and they raved about it. I would definitely do this again. As a Chinese person who grew up on bbq pork, I was very pleased with this. The only changes I might make is to very slightly dial back the 5 spice and for my personal tastes make it slightly sweeter. Thank you, Chef John! You did great!
Absolutely great recipe! I used pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder and I couldn't find five spice powder or star anise at my local supermarket so I substituted allspice with a pinch of ginger. The results were phenomenal. I do plan on finding some five spice powder for the next time I make this. Because, there WILL be a next time.
This came out so delicious. I baked it because I don't have a grill. The family loved it!! DEFINITELY will make this again.
I made this as written except for a few small changes: 1) I used country ribs because that's what I had on hand, 2) I did not add additional salt at the end, and 3) did not use any red food coloring. This is a fantastic recipe, the pork came out as I had tasted it in Chinatown. After boiling the remaining sauce, I used it to baste the ribs several times during the grilling process, and the pork came out red enough without the food dye. The flavor was right on. Thank you Chef John, for another outstanding recipe.
This was AMAZING!!! My hubby could not stop raving about how delicious it was! Cut my pork tenderloin into 4 equal pieces and let it marinate for 18 hours before grilling low and slow on the BBQ. Basted it occasionally with the reserved marinade after I reduced it on the stove. Sliced it up and served it with fried rice, bok choy and the extra sauce. Better than store bought or takeout and super easy to make!! You knocked it out of the park with this one, Chef John!! Thank you for sharing!!
This is exactly what I was looking for. My family loved it. They also loved the fried rice I made a couple of days later.
Loved it! A wonderful taste for the mouth and my friends and family loved it! Might become my new go to thing to make when guest come over to impress them with!
