Char Siu: Cantonese Honey-Glazed Roast Pork

Combine all marinade ingredients -- hoisin, oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, sugar, honey, garlic, five-spice powder, sesame oil, and red tofu if using -- in a bowl and mix well.

Score the pork strips with shallow diagonal cuts about 1cm deep on both sides. This helps the marinade penetrate and creates more caramelized surface area. Add the pork to the marinade, coat thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Remove the pork from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Set a wire rack over a foil-lined baking tray.

Place the pork strips on the rack. Reserve the marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. You will use this to baste.

Roast at 220 degrees C for 20 minutes, then brush generously with the boiled marinade. Reduce oven to 190 degrees C and roast for a further 15 minutes.

Brush the pork with honey. Switch the oven to broil/grill on high and broil for 5-7 minutes, watching closely, until the surface is darkly caramelized and charred in spots. Turn once during broiling for even color.

Rest for 5 minutes before slicing across the grain into 1cm pieces. Serve over steamed rice or in steamed bao buns, drizzled with any remaining pan juices.