Cha Siu and Curing Salt, do you use it?

[Werdna]

Going on the pinkness of Cha Siu (chinese roasted pork) I've wondered if there's curing salt in some recipes.  A quick search of the web says no.  A more detailed search, where I looked specifically for Curing Salt and Cha Siu says maybe.

 

So, is this one of those ingredients like MSG, often used but expunged from the pages of cookbooks out of fear or secrecy?  Or does it not really belong in Cha Siu?   I do know I enjoy the pinker, more hammy cha siu more than the kind that resembles overcooked pork roast in the center.

 

Same question applies for vietnamese bbq pork, the kind you find in your bahn mi, or the mixed ingredient rice/noodle plates.  So delicious, and strangly pink internally.

 

Anyone use it for these recipes?

[daveb]

I see "pink" salt used frequently in brines for pork - because of the resultant color the meat will present.  WIthout doing some google fu it seems like it's less than 10% of the salt used in the brine.    All of the pork prepared at my house will be brined and the brine solution will contain a small amount of pink salt.  (1T pink or curing salt to 1C of regular course salt comes to mind.)

 

Don't recall seeing it as an ingredient in the final dish.  Do know it's not something you want to ingest.

 

The confusion may be that brining pork is assumed for pork but specific brining solutions are not addressed in recipes you've seen.  And it is not used in the prep for the final dish..

Edited February 10, 2015 by daveb (log)

[jayt90]

Salt and smoke will lead to some pinkness.    I have seen nitrite infused salt from Indonesia, so it it might be an old time product in other parts of Asia.

[Lisa Shock]

I have seen recipes that say that in the past red food color was in the recipe, and offer it as optional now.

[Dejah]

I use food colouring - a dark red liquid. This is added to my hoisin paste. It will add a pink tinge to the char siu.

[FeChef]

I use red food coloring (powder). It doesnt add any flavor, but in my mind, char siu does not look right without that nice deep dark red color. No amount of nitrate would give it that color. Also, dont use lean pork. I use boston butt. It has a perfect fat/meat ratio to give you that nice char when thrown on the fire/grill. I debone and filet the entire roast similar to how you filet short ribs to make Kalbi. You end up with something that looks like 2 full rack length ribs but boneless. After you marinate them for a few days (yes few days) you can hang them and slow cook in an oven and finish off on the grill. I like my Char Siu more savory then sweet.

 

There is this chinese take-out not far from my house that makes "in my opinion" the best "boneless spare ribs" (Char Siu) i have ever tasted. But the funny thing is its the only item on there menu that my wife and I like. Everything else is bland. There sauces are watered down. We have mentioned this in a nice way, but there is a language barrier unfortunately. And its come to the point where i would like to figure out the marinade they use because i hate when i am craving there Char Siu. I make my wife pick it up...lol

[Dejah]

I use red food coloring (powder). It doesnt add any flavor, but in my mind, char siu does not look right without that nice deep dark red color. No amount of nitrate would give it that color. Also, dont use lean pork. I use boston butt. It has a perfect fat/meat ratio to give you that nice char when thrown on the fire/grill. I debone and filet the entire roast similar to how you filet short ribs to make Kalbi. You end up with something that looks like 2 full rack length ribs but boneless. After you marinate them for a few days (yes few days) you can hang them and slow cook in an oven and finish off on the grill. I like my Char Siu more savory then sweet.

 

There is this chinese take-out not far from my house that makes "in my opinion" the best "boneless spare ribs" (Char Siu) i have ever tasted. But the funny thing is its the only item on there menu that my wife and I like. Everything else is bland. There sauces are watered down. We have mentioned this in a nice way, but there is a language barrier unfortunately. And its come to the point where i would like to figure out the marinade they use because i hate when i am craving there Char Siu. I make my wife pick it up...lol

I use a mix of red food colouring, Hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese wine, sugar or honey. That produces a dark red colour with a light pink under. The meat is marinated overnight, then hang from wire rack and roasted in the oven. There are always charred bits. I use pork butt cut into thick pieces, poke holes in the pieces with a fork before marinating.