Cherry Chinese Barbecue Pork

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, pork shoulder will produce a leaner cha siu. Either way, you cannot go wrong with cherry barbecue pork.

Let us suggest to serve 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

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• 1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
• 1/4 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, cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
3. Add the cherries and cook 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 heat, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Pulse the sauce using an immersion blender until you get a smooth sauce. Add more coconut aminos if 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, set aside the remaining sauce to use later. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours.
9. Preheat grill to medium heat.
10. Place the pork on the grill and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until done, basting every few minutes with the remaining marinade.
11. Let cool 4 to 5 minutes and serve with the remaining sauce.