Cherry Chinese Barbecue Pork Recipe

If you were born under a lucky star, then you've probably held the esteemed honor of gorging yourself with a mouthwatering plateful of Char siu  - a traditional Cantonese roasted meat, or as it is more commonly known Chinese barbecue pork.

To stay on the safe side of ingredients, we have Paleo-ized this amazing dish and eliminated the soy sauce, the brown sugar (or honey), and the hoisin sauce.

Our modern version may be anything but traditional, yet it is stunning all the same, particularly if you love cherries. And in a cherry-filled world, there is no refusing a spoonful of skillet cherry jam...

Save that craving for dessert, though, and focus on the basics. Procure the best pork tenderloin that you can find (in the far past, cha siu was also made from wild boar meat!), and start your cherry and coconut amino marinade.

It is best to plan ahead, as you will want to marinate the roast for 4 to 8 hours. One can always improvise, depending on the cut of meat at hand: grilled pork belly will be fatter and juicier, and pork shoulder will produce a leaner cha siu. Either way, you cannot go wrong with cherry barbecue pork.

Let us suggest serving this over a simple bed of cauliflower rice with a light salad of beet, broccoli, and mache salad with almond vinaigrette on the side.

Cherry Chinese Barbecue Pork Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep: 20 min + 4 h Cook: 20 min

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• 1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp. Chinese five spice
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
3. Add the cherries and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they start releasing their juices.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the pork, season to taste, and give everything a good stir.
5. Bring the sauce to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Pulse the sauce using an immersion blender until you get a smooth sauce. Add more coconut aminos if they are too thick.
7. Let the sauce cool down, and pass it through a fine mesh sieve for a smoother sauce.
8. Pour half of the sauce over the pork tenderloin, and set aside the remaining sauce to use later. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours.
9. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
10. Place the pork on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until done, basting every few minutes with the remaining marinade.
11. Let cool for 4 to 5 minutes and serve with the remaining sauce.

📖 Recipe

Cherry Chinese Barbecue Pork Recipe

There is nothing wrong with loving your favorite, go-to BBQ sauce, but when you come across cherry Chinese barbecue pork, please don't say no!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4 people

Calories 386 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• 1 cup cherries pitted and halved
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger minced
• 1 tsp. Chinese five spice
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2 tbsp. coconut oil
• Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
  2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp. fresh ginger
• Add the cherries and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they start releasing their juices.
  1 cup cherries
• Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the pork, season to taste, and give everything a good stir.
  ¼ cup coconut aminos, 1 tsp. Chinese five spice, 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Bring the sauce to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Pulse the sauce using an immersion blender until you get a smooth sauce. Add more coconut aminos if they are too thick.
• Let the sauce cool down, and pass it through a fine mesh sieve for a smoother sauce.
• Pour half of the sauce over the pork tenderloin, and set aside the remaining sauce to use later. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours.
  2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• Preheat the grill to medium heat.
• Place the pork on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until done, basting every few minutes with the remaining marinade.
• Let cool for 4 to 5 minutes and serve with the remaining sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 386kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 48gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 479mgPotassium: 1044mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 396IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 3mg

Keyword cherry, chinese barbecue, paleo, pork, recipe

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