Sous Vide Char Siu Pork

Anova Culinary

Char siu is a Chinese roasted pork dish that is prized for a sticky, red-glazed exterior. By using pork belly instead of a leaner cut of meat you get a juicier final product, in particular when the meat is prepared as it is in this recipe: slow cooked sous vide for 16 hours. Serve it on top of rice, with some veggies and a drizzle of soy sauce.

Author

Christina Wylie

Christina Wylie is an award-winning writer, author, editor, food stylist, recipe creator, entrepreneur and radio host whose work has been featured in The Times & The Sunday Times, Time Out (Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai), Traveler’s Digest, Fah Thai Magazine, Broadsheet, Wining & Dining and many other internationally renowned publications. In 2013, after almost a decade of working as an international journalist, Christina founded the online lifestyle magazine The GAB Magazine, for which she now leads a team of 60 writers based all across Australia. She then founded Samui Life Magazine in 2016. After working as a recipe creator for Anova Culinary for over a year, she signed a cookbook contract with the American-based, international publishing company Quarto. Her cookbook, titled The Sous Vide Kitchen: Techniques, Ideas, and More Than 100 Recipes to Cook at Home, was published worldwide in 2017. She wrote, styled, and photographed everything that you see within that book. In 2017 she opened her first restaurant, Bootlegger, in Koh Samui, Thailand. She is currently in the initial stages of launching Bootlegger 2 in Phuket in 2018, and is looking to open Bootlegger 3 in Bangkok in 2019. She is currently working towards stepping into the world of food and travel presenting. As an entrepreneur herself, Christina co-founded the charity initiative Project Gen Z in 2015 to teach orphaned Cambodian children entrepreneurial skills. A British expat born and raised in Hong Kong, Christina has worked across the globe, and has lived in Thailand, London, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa over the years.

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 16:00

Temperature : 158F / 70C

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 158ºF (70ºC).
  2. Divide the pork between two medium zipper lock or vacuum seal bags. Divide 1/2 cup char siu sauce between the bags. Seal the bags using the water immersion technique. Place the bags in the water bath and set the timer for 16 hours. Cover the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize water evaporation.
  3. About 15 minutes before the pork is finished, prepare the Chinese broccoli: Fill a large saucepan with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  4. Add the broccoli to the water and boil until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.
  5. About 5 minutes before the pork is finished, heat broiler to high.

Finishing Steps

  1. When the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath. Remove the pork from the bags and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Transfer the pork to a foil-lined broiler-safe baking dish. Generously brush pork with additional char siu sauce.
  3. Broil for 5 minutes, and then brush a second layer of char siu is sauce over the pork. Continue to broil until sauce is caramelized, about 5 more minutes.
  4. Transfer pork to a serving plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
  5. Divide rice between 2 serving bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Arrange pork on top of the rice. Place the Chinese broccoli next to the rice and enjoy!