Cha Siu Soh

These delicious and moreish parcels are a yumcha/dim sum classic. I’m keeping things traditional here and honouring the smoky, salty/sweet Chinese style BBQ roast pork by blanketing it in buttery, flaky pastry.

Find a Reel version of this recipe on my Instagram here.

This recipe makes at least 8-12 pastries.

Originally created for Winter Week on The Great Australian Bake Off, Season 6.

Ingredients

• 150g honey

• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce

• 2 tbs dark soy sauce

• 2 tbs oyster sauce

• 1/3 cup Shao Xing cooking wine

• 1 tbs garlic powder

• 1 tsp five spice

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 200g pork neck fillet, cut into chunks

• 1-2 tbs cornflour

• Ground white pepper, to taste

• 2-3 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tbs sesame seeds

Method

1. Combine honey, sauces, wine, garlic powder and five spice in a bowl. Add pork, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight (preferable) to marinate.

2. Drain pork from marinade, reserving marinade. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the pork pieces in the pan and allow to brown and caramelize. Flip to cook evenly.

3. Add marinade to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, with lid partially open, until pork is cooked (adding some water if needed). Add enough cornflour to thicken – gravy should coat back of spoon easily. Season with white pepper and salt.

4. Remove from heat. Chop pork pieces into smaller pieces, ensuring there is enough thickened sauce to cover. Cool completely.

5. Preheat oven to 200C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

6. Cut pastry sheets into 8 to 12, 7cm x 8cm rectangles.

7. Place 2 tsp of pork mixture along the long edge of each pastry rectangle. Brush edges of pastry with egg. Roll up the pastries from long side to enclose filling. Press the short ends together to secure, removing any excess air. Crimp short ends with a fork to seal.

8. Place pastries on prepared baking tray. Brush generously with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until pastry is golden, rotating halfway through if needed. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve pastries warm or room temperature.

Notes

If making your own marinade seems like too much of a faff, buy and use a pre-made cha siu marinade. These come in jars or packets and are widely available at good supermarkets or Asian groceries.

Want to level up? Make your own puff pastry!