Chinese · Cantonese · main

Char Siu Pork Tenderloin

Char Siu Pork Tenderloin reads umami 8.0, sweetness 6.1 and richness 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese · Cantonese main, about 4 hr 59 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.0 · Sweetness 6.1 · Richness 5.3 · Salinity 5.3 · Allium 4.0 · Floral 4.0 · Nutty 3.4 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Sourness 2.1 · Fruity 1.3 · Bitterness 1.0 · Heat 0.9 · Citrus 0.8 · Earthy 0.8

What's in it (13)

Time & effort: about 4 hr 59 min (30 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 119 kcal, 14.7 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 8.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

  1. Trim the pork tenderloins of silverskin and excess fat, then pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the honey (reserve the rest), brown sugar, sherry, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, salt, ketchup, and sesame oil until smooth; set aside 1/4 cup of this mixture in a separate small container and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon honey to use as the basting glaze, so it never touches raw pork.
  3. Pour the remaining marinade over the pork in a zip-top bag or shallow dish, turning to coat. Seal and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours for deepest flavor.
  4. Remove the pork from the marinade and discard the used marinade. Let the pork sit at room temperature 20 minutes while you heat the oven to 425°F and set a wire rack over a foil-lined baking sheet.
  5. Lay the tenderloins on the rack and roast 12 minutes.
  6. Flip the tenderloins and brush with half the reserved glaze; continue roasting, brushing with the rest halfway through, until deep mahogany and an instant-read thermometer reads 140°F in the thickest part, 10-12 minutes more.
  7. Switch the oven to broil and broil the pork until the glaze bubbles and lacquers in dark spots, 1-2 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't scorch, and pull the pork once it hits 145°F.
  8. Rest the pork on a cutting board, tented loosely with foil, 8-10 minutes — it will climb a few degrees as it rests, which is what keeps it juicy instead of dry.
  9. Slice against the grain on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch medallions, scatter with the scallions, and serve.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.