BBQ pork is very popular with the Cantonese. It is a staple in Hong Kong & a particular favourite in my family. Have fun with this version of it & save yourself some money by not having to buy it from the BBQ shops.

CANTONESE BBQ PORK 义燒:

2-3 lbs pork butt                                                         

Liquid honey for basting                                           

Marinade:

    5-6 tbsp. sugar                                                        

    2 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry

    2 glove garlic, crushed                               

    ¼ tsp. 5-spice powder                                                                                            

    2 stalks green onion, cut into long pieces  

    ½ tbsp. salt

    3 tbsp. light soy sauce                                            

    few drops of red food colouring

Cut pork into 2-inch wide long strips and place them in a large bowl. Mix marinade ingredients together. Pour marinade over the pork & mix well to ensure that the strips are well coated. Cover and marinate meat for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange pork pieces on an oiled rack over a large roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes, basting often with marinade.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking, coat pork strips generously with honey to glaze. Finish cooking when juices run clear when pieced with a skewer. Let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Slice pork into serving pieces of desired thickness to serve.

Alternately, cooking can be done on a BBQ grill over medium-high to high direct heat. Cooking time depends on thickness of the strips. On average, a 1-1 ½ -inch thick piece of pork takes 5-6 minutes to cook.  Check for doneness & do not over cook. Dilute honey coating slightly with warm water, & do not glaze meat until it is almost cooked, to avoid excessive charring.