Hawker Classics
Singaporean Char Siew Rice: The Ultimate Hawker Style Home Recipe
Recreate the iconic taste of Singaporean hawker stalls with this tender, caramelized roast pork. This recipe uses pork collar for the perfect fat-to-meat ratio, finished with a glossy, sweet-savory glaze and served alongside fragrant rice.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 625 kcal
Method
Combine the maltose, soy sauces, oyster sauce, five-spice powder, mashed fermented bean curd, and minced garlic in a bowl. Marinate the pork collar strips in this mixture for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight in the fridge.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F). Place the pork on a wire rack over a baking tray lined with foil to catch the drippings.
Roast the pork for 15 minutes. Take it out and baste generously with the remaining marinade. Flip and roast for another 15 minutes.
While the pork is roasting, wash the jasmine rice and cook it in a rice cooker with the knotted pandan leaves and a pinch of salt for fragrance.
For the final glaze, increase oven heat to 220°C (430°F). Baste the pork one last time and roast for 5-10 minutes until the edges are slightly charred and "burnt."
Simmer any leftover marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat until thickened into a syrupy sauce.
Slice the char siew into thick pieces. Serve over the fragrant rice, drizzled with the thickened sauce and accompanied by sliced cucumbers and sambal belacan.
Notes
Use pork collar (Mei Hua Rou) instead of loin; the intramuscular fat ensures the meat stays juicy under high heat.
If the maltose is too hard to scoop, microwave it for 10 seconds to soften it into a workable syrup.
For the most authentic color without red food coloring, the red fermented bean curd is essential.
Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing to keep the juices locked in.
