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.

Remove the marinated pork to the prepared roasting pan (or baking dish and rack) and place in the oven.

Cook the tenderloins for about 45-60 minutes, turning 2-3 times during the roasting process and brushing with the reserved marinade.

The internal temperature needs to reach 145 degrees F. I left mine to get to 160 degrees F.

Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing into 1/4-1/2" thick slices.

Serve warm and enjoy!