Walk past any dai pai dong or cha chan teng in Hong Kong at noon and the glass case is glowing: rows of glossy char siu, crackling roast pork, lacquered roast goose hanging by the neck. This is siu mei (烧味) — roasted meats — and for Cantonese families it's not a restaurant thing, it's the daily takeaway home-cooked style.
The big three
- Char siu (叉烧) — sweet, red-glazed pork shoulder or belly, the star of char siu fan and the closest to a home cook's reach.
- Siu yuk / roast pork (烧肉) — skin crackling into shatter-crisp blisters, belly meat salty and juicy.
- Roast goose (烧鹅) — the crown jewel, lacquered and rich; hardest to replicate at home without a proper oven setup.
If you're cooking at home, start with char siu. It tolerates a standard home oven, rewards patience with a 24-hour marinade, and the glaze — maltose or honey brushed on at the end — is what gives it that lacquer shine.
What makes char siu taste like the shop
- Marinate pork shoulder or belly 12–24 hours in hoisin, soy, honey, Chinese five-spice and a touch of red fermented bean curd (南乳) for that rosy hue.
- Roast at 200°C (400°F) until caramelized, basting with the marinade every 10 minutes.
- Finish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes — that's the caramel edge shops can't get any other way.
- Rest 10 minutes, then slice against the grain; the juices stay in, not on the board.
💡 The red color is traditional and comes from red fermented bean curd or a drop of red food coloring — both optional. The flavor is the hoisin-five-spice-honey trinity.
What to serve it with
Over rice with a fried egg (char siu fan), in wonton noodle soup, or sliced cold as part of a cold-dish spread. It also freezes beautifully — roast a big batch, slice, and portion.
