Char Siu

About

Low Carb Char Siu has been specially formulated with less net carbs. The recipe uses similar ingredients to traditional char siu. Still, because the sauce amount isn’t very much compared to the amount of meat it is on, the net carb count stays low without sacrificing flavor. Tender boneless country-style pork ribs are seasoned with a sauce made from sweetener, five-spice powder, Szechuan peppercorns, white pepper, sesame seed oil, Shaoxing wine, kosher salt, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, red food coloring (optional), minced garlic and honey. The resulting mixture is sweet and savory but not overly abundant in carbs. The pork is then roasted under a broiler until charred in spots and cooked through.

Do I have to add the red food coloring?

You do not have to use red food coloring, it is optional, but it is the traditional coloring for char siu pork.

I see some of the ingredients are not low carb?

Yes, the ingredients in this recipe are not typically “low carb” and still contain some sugars. However, this is acceptable for those on low carb diets. Some people on Keto may also be able to incorporate these kinds of carbs into their diet.

Serving suggestion

Feel free to serve Char Siu over Low Carb Sriracha Chicken Fried Rice

*Recipe below does not list the food coloring, however, you will need to use 4-5 drops of red food coloring or a drop of gel food coloring*

Ingredients

6 pound boneless pork country style ribs by farmland
½ cup the ultimate icing sugar replacement by swerve
1 ½ Teaspoon chinese five spice powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper, ground
1 ½ teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoon shaoxing rice wine by gu yue long shan
6 teaspoon coarse kosher salt by morton
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon molasses
4 clove garlic
2 tablespoon raw honey

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 500 F. Remove the pork from the packaging and place it into a large casserole dish to marinate the pork (a 13” x 9” pan will work well). Combine all the sauce ingredients, including the sweetener, five-spice powder, Szechuan peppercorns, white pepper, sesame seed oil, Shaoxing wine, kosher salt, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, red food coloring (optional), minced garlic, and honey. Mix well to combine the sauce and pour it over the pork.
Move the pork around in the casserole dish to distribute the sauce all over the meat. Cover the pork and marinate the pork overnight. The next day, place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place the meat onto the wire rack as far apart as possible. There will be some marinate in the bottom of the casserole dish that you will want to reserve. Add 1 cup of water into the bottom of the rimmed baking sheet. The water will help the drippings from smoking. Place the meat into the oven and roast on the first side for 25 mins.
Flip and baste this second side with the reserved marinate using a silicone pastry brush. Cook on the second side for 20-25 minutes. Be sure to add more water to the baking sheet’s bottom if it is starting to smoke. Flip the meat again and roast another 15 minutes until the meat is very charred in spots.
Carefully remove the tray from the oven because of the water still in the bottom of the sheet tray. If you want to play it safe, turn off the oven, remove the meat with a pair of tongs and place it on a cutting board. Allow the baking sheet to cool before removing it from the oven. Slice the pork thin and serve immediately.