Modernist char siew

Tastes lovely and very tender. Meat is from pork shoulder with a streak of fat. Nice blend of sweet, tart and savory.

Char Siew marinade was (approximately and to taste):

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon dark soya sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons of hoisin
• 4 tablespoons honey
• My 5 spice powder approximation: rosemary sprig, fennel seeds, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, pepper.
• 4 tablespoons shaoxing wine.
• About 1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (to taste).
• 1-2 tablespoons of Heinz BBQ sauce (for the smokey and tart flavor).

Mix and boil on stove until the marinade runs slowly down the ladle. Stop and cool (it will thicken further).

I brined the meat for a couple of hours before the marinade, but I suspect its not necessary.

Use just enough marinade to coat the meat, reserving the rest. Marinade for a few hours. Then bag it up and cook at 59.8C for 12 hours approximately.

After 12 hours, take out the meat (reserve the sauce in the bag), brush with fresh warmed up marinade and blow torch the sucker until you see moderate char.

Put the sauce in the bag on a pan, pour in the remaining fresh marinade and boil it down. Strain it into a container.