You ever grab something out of your freezer thinking it’s one thing… and then it thaws out and says “SURPRISE, GIRL”? Yeah. That happened. Thought I was pulling out pork tenderloin. Nope. Mystery assorted chunks of pork loin. Did I panic? Absolutely not. Did I immediately reach for my long-time ride-or-die marinade? ABSOLUTELY YES. I’ve had this char siu marinade on repeat for years — pork butt? Works. Pork chops? Works. Pork cubes? Works. Honestly if it’s pork and it sits still long enough, it’s getting drenched in this marinade. And since the universe gave me pork chunks, I said, “Fine. Skewers it is.” Perfect little holiday appetizers if you make them smaller… or a simple dinner like I did with steamed rice and bok choy because balance. Sooo many Char Siu recipes call for red food coloring. I always skip it but feel free to add red food coloring if you want that intense red color.
