Char siu-glazed Pork and Pineapple Buns

By Fresh2

Char siu -- Chinese-style barbecued pork -- is popular throughout the Islands. We've used its sweet, tangy glaze on pork tenderloin and pineapple, and then tucked both into Hawaiian sweet rolls.


Serve with:
Pineapple drops
Papaya and avocado salads with Hawaiian vanilla vinaigrette
Caramelized Maui onion
Coconut lime shrimp skewers
Chocolate liliko'i parfaits

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup each kosher salt and packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tbls Hawaiian vanilla extract
• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb each)
• 1/2 cup each ketchup and hoisin sauce
• 2 tbls each toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, minced ginger, and low-solium soy sauce
• 12 slices of peeled and cored fresh pineapple
• 24 King's Hawaiian sweet rolls or other small soft rolls, warmed on the grill if you like
• 1 cup cilantro sprigs

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make a brine: In a large pot, bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in salt, brown sugar, and vanilla. Chill until cool.

2. Put pork in a 9 x 13 in pan and pour on brine. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 12.

3. Make char siu glaze: In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, hoisin, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Pour half the sauce into another small bowl.

4. Prepare a grill for indirect medium heat. (350 to 450 degrees) Lay pork over indirect-heat area and cook, covered, until meat reaches 135 degrees on a meat thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Using a pastry brush and one bowl of glaze, cover pork with glaze, saving 2 tbsp for the pineapple. Cook pork, turning occassionally, until glaze has caramelized slightlyand meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 15 minutes.

6. Lay pineapple slices on direct-heat area of grill, brush with 2 tbsp reserved glaze and cook, turning once, until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from grill and cut in half.

7. Cut pork into 1/2 inch slices. Cut a deep diagonal slit across the top of each roll. Fill each roll with a piece of pork, half a grilled pineapple slice, a cliantro spring, and 1/2 tsp glaze from second bowl. Serve rolls with remaining glaze for drizzling.

Brine port and make char siu glaze up to 1 day ahead.