Char siu

Step 1: Mix 3 tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, ½ tsp five-spice powder, ¼ tsp ground white pepper and 3 cloves garlic in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the mashed red bean curd if you are using it.

Step 2: Put the 2 ¼ lb boneless pork shoulder strips in a food bag or dish, pour over the marinade and massage it in. Use a separate board and knife for the raw pork and wash them straight after.

Step 3: Seal and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, turning once. Never leave it to marinate on the counter.

Step 4: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Line a roasting tin with foil, pour in 1 cm of water and set a wire rack on top; the water stops the drips from smoking.

Step 5: Lift the pork out and lay it on the rack with space between the strips. Pour the leftover marinade into a small pan, bring it to a full boil and simmer for 3 minutes until syrupy; this basting sauce has touched raw meat, so it must boil.

Step 6: Roast the pork for 25 minutes, until the edges are starting to colour.

Step 7: Turn the strips, brush them with the boiled basting sauce and roast for 20 minutes more. Top up the water in the tin if it has dried out.

Step 8: Mix 3 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp hot water. Brush the strips generously, turn the oven up to 450°F (400°F fan) and roast for 5 minutes; turn, glaze the other side and roast for 5 minutes more, until sticky and charred in spots.

Step 9: Check the thickest strip with a thermometer: pork must reach at least 145°F (145 °F), but char siu slices best at about 158°F, when the fat has softened. Give it a few more minutes if needed.

Step 10: Rest the pork on a board for 10 minutes (at least 3 minutes is the safe minimum) so the juices settle, then brush once more with any glaze left and slice across the grain about 5 mm thick. A common mistake is slicing at once: the juice runs out and the slices go dry.