Chinese Char Siu Pork Pizza with Hoisin and Scallions

Name: Chinese Char Siu Pork Pizza with Hoisin and Scallions
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 1 h 1 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) store-bought or homemade pizza dough, at room temperature, divided into 2 equal balls (340 g each); 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface; 4 tbsp (65 g) hoisin sauce; 2 tsp (10 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar; 1 tbsp (15 ml) water; 1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil; 1 clove (4 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; 8 oz (225 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely shredded (about 2 cups); 12 oz (340 g) cooked char siu pork, patted dry, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, then cut into bite-size pieces; ½ small (50 g) red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons; 4 whole (60 g) scallions, thinly sliced; keep white/pale green parts separate from dark green tops; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or avocado, for brushing the crust edges; 2 tsp (6 g) toasted sesame seeds; ¼ cup (8 g) fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed, roughly torn (optional); 2 tsp (10 ml) sriracha or chili crisp, for drizzling (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp-chewy pizza crust spread with a garlicky hoisin sauce, blanketed in melty mozzarella, and topped with sweet, sticky char siu pork, red onion and fresh scallions. It's a fast way to turn leftover or store-bought Chinese barbecue pork into a dinner everyone fights over.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 16 min
Wait: 1 hr 3 min
Total: 2 hr 4 min
Makes: 2 pizzas, 12 inches (30 cm) each, 8 slices total

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Ingredients

4 servings

1½ lb (680 g) store-bought or homemade pizza dough, at room temperature, divided into 2 equal balls (340 g each)
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
For the hoisin sauce
4 tbsp (65 g) hoisin sauce
2 tsp (10 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp (15 ml) water
1 tsp (5 ml) toasted sesame oil
1 clove (4 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
For the toppings
8 oz (225 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely shredded (about 2 cups)
12 oz (340 g) cooked char siu pork, patted dry, sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, then cut into bite-size pieces
½ small (50 g) red onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
4 whole (60 g) scallions, thinly sliced; keep white/pale green parts separate from dark green tops
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or avocado, for brushing the crust edges
To finish
2 tsp (6 g) toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup (8 g) fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed, roughly torn (optional)
2 tsp (10 ml) sriracha or chili crisp, for drizzling (optional)

Equipment (7)

Pizza stone, baking steel, or heavy rimmed baking sheet turned upside down
2 sheets of parchment paper, about 14 inches (35 cm) square
Pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet for sliding the pizza into the oven
Small bowl and spoon for the sauce
Chef's knife and cutting board
Box grater
Pizza cutter or large sharp knife

Steps

Before you start

Take the pizza dough out of the fridge about 1 hour before shaping so it relaxes and stretches without snapping back. The dough rests while the oven preheats.
You need about 12 oz (340 g) of already-cooked char siu, from a Chinese barbecue shop or homemade. Pat off any pooled glaze or grease with paper towels.
Shred the mozzarella from a block of low-moisture mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella and pre-shredded cheese with anti-caking starch both melt less well here.
Your oven needs a full 45 minutes at its highest setting (up to 500°F / 260°C) to get the stone, steel or baking sheet hot enough for a crisp bottom.

1
Rest dough, heat ovenOven 500°F / 260°C
- Place a pizza stone or baking steel on the upper-middle oven rack (or turn a heavy rimmed baking sheet upside down on it).
- Preheat the oven to its highest setting, up to 500°F (260°C), for a full 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set the two dough balls on a lightly floured plate, cover loosely with a clean towel and let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour total.
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Ready when: Dough balls feel soft and slightly puffy, and no longer cold to the touch
Tip: Don't skip the full preheat. A baking surface that isn't fully hot gives a pale, floppy crust.
2
Mix hoisin sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, water, toasted sesame oil and grated garlic until smooth and spreadable, like thick ketchup.
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Ready when: Sauce is glossy, uniform and drips slowly off the spoon
Tip: Hoisin is sugary and scorches easily, so thinning it slightly helps it spread in a thin layer.
3
Prep the toppings
- Shred the mozzarella and divide into two equal piles (about 1 cup / 112 g each).
- Pat the char siu dry with paper towels, slice ¼ inch (6 mm) thick and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Thinly slice the red onion and the scallions, keeping the white and pale green parts in one pile and the dark green tops in another.
- Divide the pork, onion and scallion whites between two plates, one for each pizza.
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Ready when: All toppings are measured out and within arm's reach of your work surface
Tip: Very thin onion slices soften and sweeten in the oven. Thick slices stay harsh and raw-tasting.
4
Shape the first crust
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Press one dough ball into a flat disc, leaving the outer 1 inch (2.5 cm) rim untouched.
- Using your fingertips and then the backs of your hands, gently stretch the dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) round on a sheet of parchment paper.
- If the dough springs back, let it rest 5 minutes and try again.
- Brush the rim with ½ tablespoon of the oil.
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Ready when: Round is even in thickness, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) in the center, with a slightly thicker rim
Tip: Avoid using a rolling pin. It squeezes out the air bubbles that give the crust its chew.
5
Top the first pizza
- Spread about 2½ tablespoons of the hoisin sauce over the dough in a thin layer, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border.
- Scatter over one pile of mozzarella, then half of the pork pieces, onion and scallion whites.
- Slide the parchment onto a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet.
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Ready when: Toppings are evenly distributed with sauce just visible between pieces
Tip: Work quickly. A topped pizza left sitting will soak the dough and stick to the parchment.
6
Bake the first pizzaOven 500°F / 260°C
- Slide the pizza, parchment and all, onto the hot stone, steel or baking sheet.
- Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Crust rim is deep golden brown, the cheese is bubbling with a few browned spots, and the pork edges are caramelized and slightly charred
Tip: Check at 7 minutes. The sugars in the hoisin and pork go from caramelized to burnt quickly.
7
Finish and start second
- Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a cutting board.
- Sprinkle with half the dark green scallion tops and half the sesame seeds.
- While it rests, shape the second dough ball on fresh parchment, brush the rim with the remaining oil, and top it with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, pork, onion and scallion whites exactly as before.
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Ready when: Second pizza is topped and ready to slide in before the oven loses heat
Tip: Close the oven door promptly after removing the first pizza so the baking surface stays hot.
8
Bake the second pizzaOven 500°F / 260°C
- Slide the second pizza onto the hot baking surface.
- Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the cheese is bubbling and spotted with brown.
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Ready when: Crust rim is deep golden brown, cheese bubbling with brown spots, and the pork reads at least 165°F (74°C) in the center
9
Rest, garnish, slice
- Transfer the second pizza to the cutting board and sprinkle with the remaining scallion tops and sesame seeds.
- Let both pizzas rest 3 minutes so the cheese sets.
- Add torn cilantro and a drizzle of sriracha or chili crisp if using, then cut each pizza into 8 slices... or 4 large slices if you prefer.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Cheese has stopped bubbling and a slice lifts without the toppings sliding off
Tip: Add cilantro and sriracha only at the last second so the herbs stay bright and green.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the sauce thin. Hoisin is concentrated and sweet, and a thick layer burns and overwhelms the pork.
Pat the char siu dry and keep the pieces small so the glaze caramelizes instead of releasing liquid that makes the center soggy.
Don't overload the pizza. Two lightly topped pizzas bake crisper than one heavy one.
If your oven maxes out below 500°F (260°C), bake 2 to 4 minutes longer and rotate the pizza halfway through.

Make ahead

"The hoisin sauce keeps covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pork can be sliced and onion and scallions prepped up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in separate containers. Bring everything to room temperature while the oven preheats. Shaped, untopped crusts can be wrapped and refrigerated up to 4 hours."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: wrap slices or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze baked slices on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Reheat slices in a 400°F (200°C) oven or in a covered nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the cheese is hot."

Substitutions

cooked char siu pork → Roast duck, rotisserie chicken, or leftover roast pork. Toss 12 oz (340 g) of the sliced meat with 1 tablespoon of the hoisin sauce before topping to get a similar sweet, savory flavor.
low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella → Half mozzarella, half provolone. Provolone adds a bit more flavor while still melting well. Use the same total weight.
store-bought or homemade pizza dough → Two 12-inch (30 cm) store-bought par-baked crusts or naan. Reduce baking time to 6 to 8 minutes at 450°F (230°C) since the crusts are already cooked.
unseasoned rice vinegar → Apple cider vinegar or fresh lime juice. Use the same amount; it adds brightness to balance the sweet hoisin.