This is a recipe from Cook's Illustrated Magazine. It tastes just like the real thing! The sauce is incredible!
Ingredients:
1 (4 pound) boneless pork butt, cut into 8 strips and excess fat removed.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from 4-6 inch piece)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey
Equipment:
1 large zipper-lock bag
1 baking sheet
1 wire rack that will fit inside the baking sheet
aluminum foil
medium bowl
small saucepan
tongs
Instructions:
1. Using fork, prick pork 10 to 12 times on each side. Place pork in a large plastic zipper-lock bag. Combine sugar, soy, hoisin, sherry, pepper, five-spice powder, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a medium bowl. Measure out 1/2 cup marinade and set aside. Pour remaining marinade into bag with pork. Press out as much air as possible; seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
2. While meat marinates, combine ketchup and honey with reserved marinade in a small saucepan. Cook glaze over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack on sheet.
4. Remove pork from marinade, letting any excess drip off, and place on wire rack. Pour 1/4 cup of water into bottom of baking pan. Cover pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, crimping edges tightly to seal. Cook pork for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until edges of pork begin to brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
5. Turn on broiler. Broil pork until evenly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove pan from broiler and brush pork with half of glaze; broil until deep mahogany color, 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip meat and broil until other side browns, 7 to 9 minutes. Brush meat with remaining glaze and continue to broil until second side is deep mahogany, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes, then cut into thin strips and serve.
This dish is best served with rice and a vegetable side dish. Leftover pork makes an excellent addition to fried rice or an Asian noodle soup.
Tips:
1. If you cannot find a 4 pound pork butt get two 2 pound ones.
2. You can use black pepper instead of the white but only use half. White pepper isn't as strong as black.
3. Soy sauce, ketchup, and hoisin are high in salt. If you have high blood pressure problems then use low-sodium soy sauce and homemade or low-sodium ketchup. You have been warned.
4. To help with cleanup, spray the rack and pan with vegetable oil spray.
4. If you do not have a wire rack that fits inside a baking sheet then use a broiler pan. Cover the top with foil, poking holes to allow juices to drain into the pan. You can also use vegetable spray to help with cleanup.
5. Broiling times are approximate! This depends on your broiler and how close you position the meat to the heating element. Do not use a drawer broiler-the heat source will be too close and burn the meat. Instead, increase the temperature of the oven in step 5 to 500 degrees and cook for 8 to 12 minutes before glazing and 6 to 8 minutes once the glaze has been applied; flip meat and repeat.
6. This recipe can be made with boneless country-style ribs, but the meat will be slightly drier and less flavorful. Baby back and spare ribs also taste very good made this way. Cooking times and methods will be different but using the sauce and marinade is great.
Enjoy!
