Looking for Authentic Tested Char Siu recipe

[bknox]

Here is one for you BBQ foodies. I am looking for an authentic Char Siu (chinese bbq sauce/marinade) recipe. I have several and not one is like what I can get at a carry out and typically are almost black (like motor oil) in color. Char Siu I have had in the past are red and have a flavor that may be 5 spice, not sure.

If anyone has a tested recipe for char siu I would really appreciate and will share a pretty good Bourbon BBQ sauce in exchange. Please only send recipes you have tested and are not black in color or out of the can.

Thanks,
Bryan

 

[thymeless]

You're asking for two conflicting things.

Restaurant Char siu is made from mass manufactured sauces with a ton of red food coloring. And that too looks pretty darn dark as it goes on.

Authentic chinese char siu wil still be a dark sauce You adjust the redness with food coloring.

Here's a recent discussion with a recipe I've used that produces excellent char siu flavor. It's still a dark sauce, all the redness comes from food coloring, and as written, it's not red.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/char-siu-recipe-60077.html

And as I say in that thread, the Lee Kum Kee jarred sauce is simpler with equal results.

 

[bknox]

Well that is disappointing. I thought the chefs out there has some secret recipes for a Char Siu that was only served to Emperors or something of the sort. I went to the link on the first post and am going to try it out. Looking at the ingredients, looks like it may be a good place to start. We will see.

 

[thymeless]

My recipe is further down in that thread, no link, just typed it in. The first linked recipe didn't really work well according to the OP.

 

[bknox]

I grabbed it. Thanks. Not a big fan of food coloring, which seems to be common in some Chinese cooking, but may find a happy medium if I can get close. Thanks!

 

[thymeless]

You might try working in some achiote paste or ground annato. That can add a lot of color without much flavor.

 

[bknox]

In my head I was just thinking paprika but I like the Achiote, Annato idea and I have both here. Thank you, this is why forums rock.