Sticky Five-Spice Char Siu Pork Tenderloin

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Cantonese barbecue pork, rebuilt without a grain of sugar. Pork tenderloin marinates in tamari, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger and five-spice, then roasts hot and gets brushed with a glossy brown-sweetener glaze that lacquers into deep mahogany edges. A bracing garlic-sesame smashed cucumber salad cuts the richness, so the whole plate stays crisp, savory and low-carb.

Ingredients

• 2 lb pork tenderloin (2 tenderloins), silverskin trimmed
• 3 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp brown-sugar-style monk fruit erythritol sweetener
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp brown-sugar-style monk fruit erythritol sweetener
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1 1/2 lb Persian or English cucumbers
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp tamari
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Pat the pork tenderloins dry. In a bowl, whisk the 3 tablespoons tamari, Shaoxing wine, 2 tablespoons sweetener, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, grated garlic, ginger, five-spice, white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth.
2. Put the tenderloins in a zip-top bag or shallow dish, pour over the marinade, and turn to coat every surface. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, turning once.
3. Thirty minutes before cooking, pull the pork out to come to room temperature. Heat the oven to 425°F and set a wire rack inside a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
4. While the oven heats, make the cucumbers: lay them on a cutting board, press firmly with the flat side of a large knife until they split, then tear or cut into rough 1-inch chunks. Toss with 3/4 teaspoon salt in a colander and drain 15 minutes.
5. Lift the pork from the marinade, letting excess drip off, and set it on the rack, leaving 2 inches between the tenderloins. Reserve the marinade. Roast 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the glaze: pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium heat, then simmer 3 minutes. Add the butter, 2 tablespoons sweetener, 1 tablespoon tamari, and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar and simmer, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon.
7. Brush the pork generously with glaze, flip, and brush again. Return to the oven and roast 8 to 12 minutes more, brushing once more halfway through, until the thickest part registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer and the edges are darkly lacquered. If you want more char, run it under the broiler for 60 to 90 seconds, watching closely.
8. Transfer the pork to a board and rest 10 minutes. Keep any leftover glaze warm for drizzling.
9. Finish the salad: shake the cucumbers dry and blot with a towel. Toss with the rice vinegar, sesame oil, tamari, minced garlic, and chili flakes, then fold in the sesame seeds, scallions, and cilantro.
10. Slice the pork on a sharp diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces, drizzle with the reserved glaze, and serve with the smashed cucumbers alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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