LowCarb Chinese BBQ Pork. (Char Siu) Many years ago when I landed in the Pacific Northwest from the mountains of Colorado, one of the first things I was introduced to was Chinese BBQ Pork. Someone I met, who remains a very dear friend, shared some with me and it was another “love at first bite” moment. I had never had anything like it but I knew one thing, I was going to eat it again and again and again…that was, until I couldn’t eat sugar anymore. But…with the figuring out of my new Hoisin Sauce recipe used for making Peking Duck, I can make this BBQ sauce basically sugar-free and it is exactly as I remember it. Hoisin Sauce is only one of the ingredients and is needed to complete the dish, but this is a relatively easy appetizer to make so hold onto your hats because the ride is well worth the trip.
Imagine my anticipation when I realized I could make this LowCarb Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu in Chinese). I had to buy a whole pork loin roast (about 4 lbs.), cut it into quarters, make the sauce, marinate the meat overnight (not necessary), cook it, wait for it to cool completely, slice it, take pictures and then for the first time since 2002 finally have it again.
I normally eat once a day in the afternoon about 3:30-4:00pm and if you think I was going to wait that long-think again. As soon as I had everything set up and sliced the meat for the final pictures…I pigged out on it and I mean PIGGED OUT at 11:00am. It is/was exactly as I remembered it. Did I eat it all? No, it was even too much for me but great thing?…I can have it again tomorrow.
I have given you the recipe for the Chinese mustard the way I like it. If you aren’t used to it, it may still blow your head off but it is a little different than that crud you get with Chinese take-out. Remember, once you have made something it is much easier to make it again…and again…and I will.
If you want to impress your sports fans on game day this is one of the ways to do it.
This recipe for LowCarb Chinese BBQ Pork Loin makes enough for 8 as an appetizer (5 pieces) or dinner for 4 (10 pieces). If you do it as an appetizer you can make and then freeze what you don’t need and then think how easy it will be the next time you want it. I’m kidding, you WILL eat every bit of this.
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As I am a Type II diabetic, all recipes on this website are keto or low carb and diabetic friendly.
- 2 Lbs Boneless Pork Loin (About 7" Long)
- ¼ C Tamari
- 2 T My Low Carb Hoisin Sauce
- 2 T Oyster Sauce
- 2 T Sugar Free Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 T Allulose***
- 1 t Crushed Garlic
- ½ t Five Spice Powder
- 10 Drops Red Food Coloring (Optional But Traditional)
- Sesame Seeds
- Chinese Hot Mustard (Recipe Below)
- 2 T Mustard Powder
- 2 t Tamari Sauce
- 2 t Sugar Free Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 t Dijon Mustard
- 2 t Water+Additional To Dilute If Wanted After It Rests
- Cut pork loin in half. Pieces should look like picture. A whole pork loin can weight up to 10-11 lbs but is normally sold as a 2 lbs-4 lbs package so plan accordingly.
- Put pork into double plastic bag.
- Combine next 8 ingredients, mix well and spoon scant ½ into pork pieces, massaging into meat. Don't overdo the marinade into the pork as it will be less than you need for dipping.
- Roll up bag, put into a metal bowl (for safety) and refrigerate overnight.
- Take meat out of fridge at least 4 hours before cooking.
- Turn oven to broil and let heat for 5 minutes.
- Discard any used marinade.
- Lay foil on sheet pan, place meat, put under broiler about 10" below heat (middle oven shelf) for 5 minutes, turn, broil 5 more minutes, turn over once more for another not more than 5 minutes for a total of about 15 minutes broiling. If it chars all the better as it tastes wonderful.
- DO NOT overcook.
- Leaving it uncovered, let it sit on counter 15 minutes. Continue leaving it uncovered and put in refrigerator to cool-to-cold-thoroughly.
- Make mustard sauce and let sit at least 10-15 minutes.
- Slice cold pork very thinly and as you can see I got 20 slices from 1 lb. of pork.
- Arrange on a large platter, putting 3-4 small dipping bowls of mustard, sesame seeds, and the remaining marinade sauce. This will give you two flavor profiles. 1.) spicy hot-dipped into mustard & then seeds and 2.) sweet dipped into the marinade.
- 8 Appetizer Servings
- 302 Calories, 27.7g Protein, 18.6g Fat, 4.9g Carbs, 1.2g Fiber, 3.7g Net Carbs
- 4 Dinner Servings
- 550 Calories, 52.7g Protein, 33.2g Fat 7.6g Carbs 1.8g Fiber, 5.8g Net Carbs
- If your pieces end up weighing more than a lb. add 1-2 minutes per cooking cycle. As I said, you do not want to over cook it.
- I bought a 4 lb. roast as I wanted to try some other different things with it. If you buy about 7"-8" of whole roast and cut it in half you should be good to go.
- If you do it carefully, cooking the meat should work well on an outside BBQ grill.
- This is another great communal dining experience.
- Do not attempt to use a Pork Tenderloin as it would cook far to quickly to get a char and would end up like shoe leather. My opinion is that the loin is the perfect meat.
- Please DO NOT try to cook the pork loin whole-it will not work-it needs to be cut into the 2 pieces.
- Nutritionals include everything seen.
- Geez Louise, this is such good eats.