The Chinese New Year was a few days ago (well... okay... almost a week ago...), and I really wanted to have this recipe posted in time but... it just didn't happen that way. Oh, well!

Char Siu or 'Chinese BBQ Pork' literally translates to 'fork burn/roast'. It's usually well known for it's bright red colored outside layer caused from marinating and cooking in a traditional glaze sauce.

This is my healthified version of Chinese BBQ pork. It's typically made by roasting a pork shoulder in a special sauce, chopping it, skewering it, and charring it with more sauce to glaze. Well, sometimes less is more.

I used a leaner cut of pork, the tenderloin, to make my Char Siu. I also lightened up the sauce by using reduced sodium soy sauce, honey, and no sugar.

I was also lucky enough to have several options of hoisin sauce to chose from. I finally decided to go with a vegetarian one since it had few ingredients and a lot less calories. Works for me!

I should also probably note that the calorie count listed below in the nutritional values is a 'worst case scenario'. I would say that about 50-75% of the glaze drips off the pork during the roasting process, but I accounted for ALL of the glaze being consumed.

I'd rather be on the safe side since there is no real way to say how much is being eaten.

I served my pork with steamed broccoli and a rice melody (brown, red, and wild rice with quinoa.) It was absolutely fantastic!

I'm trying to think of a clever way to use up the leftovers... maybe in a dumpling or egg roll. You really can't go wrong with either.

Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: About 1/4 Lb. Meat • Calories: 296.7 • Fat: 10.4 g • Carb: 14.5 g • Fiber: 0.1 g • Protein: 34.2 g • Sugar: 12.3 g • Sodium: 533.4 mg

Ingredients:
2-3 Lbs. Pork Tenderloins

Marinade:
1/4 C. Vegetarian Hoisin Sauce
1/4 C. Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 C. Honey
1/4 C. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
1" Fresh Ginger Root, Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 Tbsp. Sriracha (Rooster Sauce)
1/2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 Tbsp. Onion Powder
1 Tsp. Red Food Coloring (Optional.)
1 Tsp. Chinese 5 Spice

Directions:

Combine the ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl until well blended.

Place the pork into a large ziplock bag or a shallow baking dish and cover with the marinade.

Close or cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Fill the bottom of a roasting pan with water.

Or... if you're like me and don't have a roasting pan... fill a 13x9 baking dish with water and set a wire rack over the top. What can I say? I get my Macgyver skills from my dad.