Ben Yeo Nailed This Sexy KL-Style Char Siew In Just One Try, Here’s The Recipe

After many requests from his followers — us included — Ben agreed to share his recipe with 8days.sg. As it turns out, he got the recipe from Singapore director Anthony Chen, who in turn appears to have gotten it from what seems like food blog Rasa Malaysia, after we did a quick search on the interweb. However, Ben has adapted the recipe to make it slightly more atas, using premium Spanish Iberico pork, and Japanese mirin instead of Chinese rice wine.

Malaysian-style char siew is darker, more caramelly and decadently fatty and charred, while the Singapore one is bright red, leaner and less robustly flavoured. But of course, being an avid home cook, the Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC) culinary arts grad made a few tweaks to the recipe and gave it his own twist. Well, we wouldn't expect anything less from the former restaurant boss who once ran eatery Hawkerman and fried chicken chain Tenderfresh. The 41-year-old sold his share of his business last year.

The key to tender char siew is in the meat, says Ben. “The quality of the meat is very important. Pick cuts that have enough fat surrounding the flesh so that it remains juicy after roasting. I used Iberico pork collar from (meat wholesaler) King Huat Meat and their meat is really good. Iberico pork is liberally marbled, making the char siew tender, juicy, yet not so fatty. If you like fattier char siew, go for skinless pork belly.”

Ben also swapped the traditional Shaoxing wine for Japanese mirin, simply because he couldn’t get any at the supermarket during these crazy CB times. Even then, he says the final recipe comes close enough to the unforgettable good char siew that he had at a Jalan Alor eatery in KL more than a decade ago, which has since shifted. “It melts in your mouth like butter,” gushes the actor. “My char siew cannot compare to that. But if I were to rate it, I would give it 7 out of 10. It’s tender, juicy, slightly chewy, and smoky. And the caramelised sauce is really good. I like my char siew sweet.”

The recipe also calls for fermented bean curd, which gives an added dimension of flavour to the char siew. However, this ingredient is optional and you can leave it out if you don't have any at home.

Now that he’s conquered char siew, Ben has set his sights on mastering the art of making siu yok (roast pork). “I don’t have a recipe yet. I am still doing my research, but I recently spoke to chef Cheung Siu Kong, who is the executive chef of Cantonese restaurant Summer Pavilion at The Ritz Carlton, and he shared his technique with me. Siu yok is more about the technique than the recipe, so I am ready to fail the first time,” he laughs.

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, then massage it into the pork. Leave to marinate overnight in the fridge, in a small container to ensure the meat is covered with the sauce.

2. Remove the meat from the fridge 20 minutes before roasting.

3. Preheat oven to 200°C for 10 minutes. Brush marinade onto pork (leaving leftovers in the container) and place pork on an oiled roasting rack, which has been laid over a foil-lined tray. Roast for 15 minutes.

4. Flip the meat over, baste with remaining marinade and roast for another 15 minutes. You can cook it for another 2-3 minutes on each side if you prefer your char siew more charred.

5. While the meat is roasting, place leftover marinade sauce in a small pan over low heat. Keep a close watch on it as the sauce caramelises quickly and can burn. Remove from heat once sauce thickens and starts to boil.

6. Remove pork from the oven and baste with sauce. Let meat rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing and serving.

Photos: Ben Yeo​​​​​​​