Char

By Shuai Wang

5.0

(4)

Total Time

5 minutes (plus 8 hours for pickling and 2½ hours for marinating)

Eaten together with the pickled radishes, these chops are at once sweet, savory, crisp, and sharp. At Jackrabbit Filly in Charleston, South Carolina, chef Shuai Wang perfected a sauce that accurately replicates the flavor of the char siu pork you’ll find hanging in Chinese barbecue restaurants. No need for a vertical rotisserie or special oven here. Stick with bone-in pork rib chops, which tend to be well-marbled and stay juicier than sirloin chops.

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6 servings

½

2

¼

¼

1

8

2

½

2

2

2

2

2

1

1

¼

6

Heat ½ cup distilled white vinegar, 2 Tbsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. black peppercorns, and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes in a small saucepan, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add 1 garlic clove, finely grated, and let brine cool.

Toss 8 oz. mixed radishes (such as red and/or watermelon and/or purple daikon), trimmed, thinly sliced, and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl; let sit until softened and releasing liquid, 10–30 minutes; drain liquid.

Pour brine over radishes. Cover and chill at least 8 hours before using.

Do ahead: Radishes can be pickled 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.

Stir ½ cup hoisin sauce, 2 Tbsp. ketchup, 2 Tbsp. light or dark brown sugar, 2 tsp. five-spice powder, 2 tsp. oyster sauce, 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger, 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil, and ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large bowl to combine.

Make shallow cuts along fatty, curved edge of each six ⅓"–¼" bone-in pork rib chops (2–3 lb.) to prevent them from curling as they cook. Add chops to marinade and toss to coat. Cover with a lid or plate and chill at least 2 hours or, preferably, up to 12 hours. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare a grill for high heat; oil grate. Remove pork chopsfrom bowl and scrape off excess marinade; discard marinade. Grill, turning often, untildeeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone of each registers140° (internal temperature should climb to 145° as they rest), 8–12 minutes. Transfer toa cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Thinly slice meat from bone; transfer to a platter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve with pickled radishes and red leaf or romaine lettuce leaves.

How would you rate Chinese-Barbecue-Style Pork Chops?

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I could only find regular radishes, so those were all the radishes I used. Also, I served the pork chops whole rather than serving sliced pork. My wife and I loved the dish.

Mort G

Annandale, VA

8/7/2023

I love this . I`m using boneless chops . Ziplocking for 4 days . Seal A Meal bagging then freezing in freezer . Great for camping . Have not tried the radish stuff . John Werderber . Scappoose Oregon

John Werderber

Scappoose Oregon

7/25/2023

Great chops!! I'm begging BA to tell us what the sauce on the side in the pic is.

Reba

ATX

7/11/2023