Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

Char Siu is a kind of Chinese roast meat. You've probably seen it or eaten it, remarking on its signature red outer coloring. It's very flavorful, a combination of sweet and salty with a hint of spice. 

Because I try to be conscious of what I eat, particularly during the week, I decided to try to make char siu with a lean piece of pork, a pork tenderloin. While I knew I would be sacrificing some of the characteristic flavor--pork tenderloin has no fat--I wanted something to go with my cauliflower fried rice that had good flavor, but was low in fat and calories.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin
• 1/8 cup granulated white sugar 
• 1 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon five spice powder
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons molasses
• 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon hot water

Instructions

• Cut the pork into chunks about 3 inches thick. 
• Combine the sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, food coloring (if using), and garlic in a bowl to make the marinade (i.e. the BBQ sauce).
• Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade and set it aside. Rub the pork with the rest of the marinade in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours. Cover and store the reserved marinade in the fridge as well.
• Preheat your oven to the highest setting (475-550 degrees F or 250-290 degrees C) with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven.
• Line a sheet pan with foil and place a metal rack on top. Using the metal rack keeps the pork off of the pan and allows it to roast more evenly, like it does in commercial ovens described above. Place the pork on the rack, leaving as much space as possible between pieces. Pour 1 ½ cups water into the pan below the rack. This prevents any drippings from burning or smoking.
• Transfer the pork to your preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the pork. If the bottom of the pan is dry, add another cup of water. Turn the pan 180 degrees to ensure even roasting. Roast another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the reserved marinade with 1 tablespoon hot water. This will be the sauce you’ll use for basting the pork.
• After 25 minutes of total roasting time, baste the pork, flip it, and baste the other side as well. Roast for a final 5 minutes.
• By now, the pork has cooked for 30 minutes total. It should be cooked through and caramelized on top. If it’s not caramelized to your liking, you can turn the broiler on for a couple minutes to crisp the outside and add some color/flavor. Be sure not to walk away during this process, since the sweet char siu BBQ sauce can burn if left unattended. 
• Remove from the oven and baste with the last bit of reserved BBQ sauce. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing, and enjoy.

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TASTE NOTES

I marinated the pork tenderloin overnight.  You might want to use a thermometer to make sure you don't overcook the pork; the times listed above worked perfectly with my oven. This fragrant version of char siu was very satisfying. The 5 spice powder combined with soy sauce and hoisin sauce gave the meat a rich flavor, the perfect contrast to my cauliflower fried rice . Of course I will make this again with a fattier version of pork roast, but I enjoyed every bite of my meal and combined the leftover cauliflower fried rice with leftover, cubed char siu for what will be a yummy lunch.

Maple Blueberry Scones

Last month I perused a cookbook by Joanne Chang whose Flour Bakery + Cafe in Boston has been an unqualified success. When I saw this recipe in Friday's New York Times, I knew I had to try it. I've been on a quest for the perfect scone for some months now. While I love blueberries, I'm not fond of the color they tend to impart to scones, but the taste more than makes up for that muddied appearance. Since I didn't have creme fraiche or buttermilk on hand, I improvised. A shot of white vinegar in the milk will, after a few minutes, give a reasonable facsimile of buttermilk. Sour cream stood in for the creme fraiche with no one the wiser. Finally, and you may not want to hear this, I don't like real maple syrup, but I love Mrs. Buttersworth's lite maple syrup, so that's what I used. These scones went together quickly and after an hour's rest in the refrigerator, were scooped onto a parchment covered baking sheet and done in 45 minutes.

Makes 8 scones.

For the scones:

• 1 ⅔ cups/240 grams whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• ½ cup/120 grams crème fraîche, Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
• ½ cup/120 milliliters maple syrup
• ⅓ cup/80 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 cup/125 grams fresh blueberries

For the glaze:

• ½ cup/60 grams confectioners’ sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup

PREPARATION

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, briefly mix both flours, the baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed. Add half the butter and paddle until fully mixed into the flour, 2 to 3 minutes. (This will coat the flour with butter so the scones are tender.)

1. Add the remaining butter to the bowl of the stand mixer. Pulse the mixer three or four times to mix the pieces into the dough while keeping them whole. (This step will give you small pieces of butter in the dough, which will help the scones be a bit flaky.)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, maple syrup, buttermilk and yolk until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the blueberries. With the mixer on low, pour the blueberry mixture into the flour mixture, and paddle on low for about 10 seconds to get some of the liquid mixed into the flour. Stop the mixer, and mix the rest of the loose flour into the dough by hand: Gather and lift the dough with your hands and turn it over in the bowl several times until all the loose flour is mixed in. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 1 day. (This gives the flour time to fully absorb the liquid.)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and position a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Using a 1/2-cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop, scoop out 8 mounds of chilled dough, and place them on the baking sheet a few inches apart. Bake scones for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the scones are evenly golden brown and firm when you press them.

1. While the scones are baking, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and enough maple syrup to make a thick, spreadable glaze. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Rewhisk before using.

1. As soon as you remove the scones from the oven, use a pastry brush to brush them with the glaze while they’re warm. Let cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes, then serve.
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3. TASTE NOTES
4. The two-step method of incorporating the butter results in a flaky exterior and cake-like interior, making this a win-win scone. No one would ever call it healthy, but the addition of the whole wheat flour adds a dimension to the taste. I loved the sticky glaze and the sweetness imparted by the maple syrup. These were very, very good and will, hopefully, freeze well since I have half of them left for next weekend.

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