Char Siu Pork Skewers Recipe

This recipe started with a pork sale. My husband spotted the bone-in pork shoulder roast deal at a local market and suggested that I buy a chunk to grill. We don’t eat a lot of meat these days so I asked the butcher to cut a one-and-a-half inch slice for me. I thought my husband would grill the whole thing but we ran out of time. We went out on a walk and paused to have a long conversation with our neighbors. Catching up with people took precedence over grilling a mini pork shoulder roast.

“What’s for dinner?” my husband said. I came up with a fast solution: char siu pork skewers. I had never made this rendition before but felt confident that it would work. This is why: If you cut up meat into thin little pieces and season them boldly, they pick up flavor fast and cook up fast too! It wasn’t as simple as throwing the meat into my usual char siu marinade. I had to make a few adjustments. But it all turned out great. I hope you like this recipe and how to video.

Do you have to use pork shoulder?

Many recipes for char siu pork pork call for pork tenderloin. The shape of that cut is great for making log-like chunks of pork that roast very easily and evenly. Roasting the marinated pork is a traditional method. But pork tenderloin nowadays has a lot of funny solutions pumped into the meat to prevent it from drying up during cooking. I prefer pork shoulder because it is flavorful, has a nice amount of fat and lean, and is relatively affordable.

Of all the cuts of pork, pork shoulder is my typical go to. For example I use pork shoulder for a garlicky cucumber stir-fry, Thai pork satays with condensed milk, and Viet lemongrass grilled pork. Pork shoulder is super versatile. 

Build a simple, bold marinade

Over the  years, I have made easy and complicated char siu pork marinades. For complex flavor, Chinese rice wine, fermented red tofu, and maltose may figure into the marinade. For these skewers, however, I went simple with garlic powder, Chinese five-spice powder, honey, soy sauce and ketchup. Grilling little bits of meat over a live fire wipes out a lot of the complex flavors of an intricate marinade. Oven roasting preserves nuanced flavors better. Grilling requires bigger, more simple approaches. That explains the easy peasy marinade in this recipe.

Note that there are differences in hoisin sauce. Koon Chun, sold at East Asian markets, has a bigger, deeper flavor than Lee Kum Kee, which is sold at Asian and mainstream supermarkets. Taste the marinade before committing it to the raw meat! And, char siu can often be very sweet. I aim for a moderate sweetness but for these skewers, I use less sweetener than usual because I didn’t want char siu pork to get overly charred due to an excess of sugar. For a little extra lusciousness add a bit of oil to the marinade too. From there it’s just a matter of coding the pork threading and grilling.

Char Siu Pork Video Pointers

I made this video because cutting the pork can be a little tricky. Ditto for threading the pieces onto the skewers. Do refresh your browser if the video does not play!

Advance Prep

What can you do ahead of time? After threading the pork onto the skewers, you can cover the pork and refrigerate it up to 24 hours. Return the pork to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling.

Pork Substitutes

Instead of pork go ahead and use boneless skinless chicken thighs. The cooking time should be the same.

Char Siu Pork Serving Suggestions

I served the char siu pork skewers with rice, a salad or slaw, and a pickle. There was a jar of 2021 green tomato and lemongrass pickle in the fridge, but the daikon and carrot pickle would be swell too. The pork would be quite at home in a bun rice noodle bowl. And, how about sliding the pork into a bánh mì? Find the Viet sandwich basics in this mega VWK article.

You can have lots of summer fun with these easy grilled char siu pork skewers.  

Print Recipe

Char Siu Pork Skewers

You get lots of savory-sweet-spicy flavors in these skewered morsels. If you need and assist with cutting the pork or skewering, watch the video in the main article.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ pounds boneless pork shoulder/butt (see Note)
• Fine sea salt
• Scant ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey (amber colored preferred)
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce (use maximum for bold flavor; see Note)
• White or black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as canola or peanut; optional, plus more as needed for brushing)

Instructions

• If using bamboo skewers, soak 6 (10-inch) long skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the pork into strips, each about 1 inch wide, 2 to 3 inches long and ¼ inch thick. Put into a medium bowl.
• In a small bowl combine ¼ salt with the five spice, garlic, soy sauce, honey, ketchup and hoisin sauce. Taste to make sure there is a balance of savory, spicy, and sweet. Adjust with a dash of soy sauce, or honey, ketchup, or hoisin by the ½ teaspoon. You may want to add a pinch of five spice or garlic powder. If zingy finish is needed, add 2 or 3 grinds of pepper. For extra lusciousness, add the 1 tablespoons oil to the seasonings.
• Pour the seasonings over the pork. Stir or better yet, massage the seasonings to coat each piece of pork. Thread the pork onto the skewers then brush with oil.
• Heat a grill or prepare a charcoal fire to medium-high. (Or, use a stovetop cast-iron grill pan heated over medium-high heat) Lightly oil the grates. When the grill or pan is hot enough, grill the pork for 8 to 12 minutes, turning frequently, until lightly charred and cooked through. (Nick a piece to check doneness.) Transfer the skewers to a plate and serve immediately.

Notes

Starting from bone-in pork shoulder? You'll need about 1 ⅔ pounds to net 1 ¼ pounds of boneless pork. 

If hoisin sauce is unavailable mix together: 1 tablespoon aka (red) miso, 1 teaspoon honey, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil. Instead of the scant ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, use a full ¼ teaspoon of the spice blend.

For a nutty note, add 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil to the marinade and back off the neutral oil, if you're using it. 

Want a lovely DIY Chinese five-spice powder? Make your own with this recipe!