Okay, so the title is a bit deceiving — this recipe isn’t a traditional Char Siu, it’s actually a Keto-friendly take on pork belly burnt ends.
You’d never know it by the rich Chinese BBQ-inspired flavors and color of this low-carb Char Siu.
Char Siu Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Char Siu literally means “fork roasted”. That name refers to a traditional cooking method where long strips of meat are skewered with long forks and cooked over a fire or in a covered oven.
What we are going to do instead in this recipe is take some of the amazing flavors of modern-day Char Siu and mix those seasonings with some cubed pork belly, also known as pork belly burnt ends.
There are hundreds of variations of Char Sui sauces out there, but here’s one that’s low-carb AND delicious.
I made these low carb Char Siu Pork Belly Burnt Ends on the Big Green Egg but you can cook them on any type of smoker or cooker of your choice.
You can fit more Char Siu Pork Belly Burnt Ends in your Big Green Egg if you use the EGGspander multi-level cooking system.
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Low Carb Char Siu Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Total Time: 4-6 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
While this may not be Char Siu as you've tasted it before, it certainly will be loaded with wonderful Asian flavors like 5-spice dry rub, ginger, and oyster sauce. The rich mahogany color even looks like tantalizing Chinese BBQ.
Ingredients
- Aluminum foil 1/2 pan
- Smoking wood of choice, I used four chunks of oak
- 3 lbs. skinless pork belly
- 1½ Tsp of kosher salt (Morton)
- ½ Tsp black pepper (restaurant grind)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Char Siu sauce:
- 4 Tbsp tamari
- 2 Tbsp natural smooth peanut butter
- 4 Tbsp Sukrin Gold sugar substitute, or whatever sugar substitute you like
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 4 Tsp rice wine
- 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 3 Tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tsp Louisiana hot sauce
- 1 Tsp ginger powder
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- ½ Tsp 5-spice powder
Instructions
Cut pork belly into 1” cubes. In a large bowl toss the cubes in the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan over medium-to-low heat and whisk together until everything is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat.
Set your Big Green Egg up for indirect cooking and get the temperature to 275° and the cooking grate level.
Smoke the pork belly with the fat side down until the cubes reach an internal temperature of around 190°f. This will take around 2-3 hours.
Try using a Thermapen for a precise temperature reading.
Remove the cubes from the smoker and place in the aluminum ½ pan.
Toss in the Char Sui sauce. Coat the cubes well then return to the smoker.
Continue to cook uncovered for an additional hour or until the sauce has reduced.
Plate and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 3-5 hour
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 pcs
You can find more keto-friendly recipes and articles on GrillGirl.com, including tips on eating healthier, a tasty but low-calorie skinny margarita, and a guide about how to make bacon.
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Can u prepare this ahead of time and reheat in the oven or a slow cooker?
Hi Mary, You certainly can make these ahead. I think they would do wonderfully reheated in a slow cooker.
Imaginative and wonderful recipe. I made the first time without the 5 Spice (didn’t have any), and it was great in that fashion also.
Good to know! Glad you enjoyed!