Salted egg yolk stuffed char siu

Mix the marinade: char siu sauce, salt, sugar, five spice, dark soy sauce, water, fenjiu and ground red yeast rice.

Massage the marinade into the pork loin, transfer to boxes, pour in the marinade, rinse the bowl with about a quarter cup of water into the boxes; cover and refrigerate 48 hours.

Set a slab of pork on a foil-lined baking tray; cut a pocket lengthwise with scissors held parallel to the surface, not cutting through the far end.

Widen the pocket with a one inch rolling pin pushed through to the far side.

Stuff in the salted egg yolks, pushing the first few through with the pin; about 6 or 7 for a 15 cm log.

Pinch both ends closed and pin each with three toothpicks vertically and three horizontally, so the loin holds its shape and does not squeeze out the yolk.

Roast in an oven preheated to 200C, about an hour in all.

Mix the basting liquid: one part char siu sauce, half part water, one part golden syrup.

Final sauce: put the leftover marinade in a small saucepan with a teaspoon of sugar and reduce over a medium flame about ten minutes, to about half; strain.

After 20 minutes move the pork onto a rack, baste and roast another twenty; flip, baste and roast a final twenty.

Check for an internal temperature of about 75C, drier than most pork roasts.

Baste once more and roast at the top of the oven at 230, or the maximum non-broiling temperature, for three minutes.

Cool completely, which tightens the filling and helps the char siu texture; once cool, wrap in foil and refrigerate, up to three or four days; at least 24 hours is suggested.

Reheat the foil-wrapped char siu 15 minutes at 200C, slice about half a centimetre thick, arrange on a plate and pour the reduced sauce around the edges.