Char Siu
Serves 1
Directions
- 1Put 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a pot.
- 2Add 1.5 tablespoons of honey to the pot.
- 3Add 1 piece of red fermented bean curd to the pot.
- 4Add 0.5 tablespoons of hoisin sauce to the pot.
- 5Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to the pot.
- 6Add 0.25 teaspoons of 5 spice powder to the pot.
- 7Add 3 drops of red food coloring to the pot.
- 8Stir the sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes to reduce the liquid until it becomes syrupy.
- 9Mix 1 teaspoon of tapioca starch with 1.5 teaspoons of water.
- 10Add the tapioca starch and water mixture to the pot with the sauce.
- 11Stir to thicken the sauce until it is nice and thick, like a gravy.
- 12Cut 500g of boneless pork shoulder or pork butt into 1.5 inch thick strips, making sure the length fits into your air fryer basket.
- 13Use a fork to poke lots of holes on the pork to help the marinade infuse into the meat evenly.
- 14Drizzle 1.5 tablespoons of Chinese cooking wine in batches and rub it all over the meat.
- 15Use paper towels to absorb the excess moisture on the surface so it doesn't dilute the sauce.
- 16Add the pork to the char siu sauce.
- 17Add 2 teaspoons of garlic paste to the pot.
- 18Add 1 teaspoon of ginger paste to the pot.
- 19Add 2 scallions, cut into stalks, to the pot.
- 20Mix thoroughly until the pork is coated with the extra thick char siu sauce.
- 21Cover the pot and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
- 22Take the pork out of the fridge and stick it into the air fryer basket.
- 23Set the temperature to 300°F / 149°C and cook for 18 minutes.
- 24Brush the char siu with the extra sauce that will be left in the pot.
- 25Flip and brush the other side of the char siu with the extra sauce.
- 26Stick it back into the air fryer and cook at 300°F / 149°C for another 18 minutes.
- 27Pull out the basket again.
- 28Brush a thin layer of honey onto the meat surface.
- 29Stick it back into the air fryer.
- 30Increase the temperature to 350°F / 176.7°C and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
- 31Pull out the basket again.
- 32Flip it over and brush with honey one more time.
- 33Keep the heat at 350°F / 176.7°C and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
- 34Slice it into thin pieces.
- 35Serve it on top of white rice with some blanched greens and enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1.5 tbsp honey
- 1 piece red fermented bean curd
- 0.5 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 0.25 tsp 5 spice powder
- 3 drops red yeast powder or red food coloring
- 500 g boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
- 1.5 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 2 scallions, cut into stalks
Equipment
air fryerpotforkpaper towelsbrush
Tips
- Every air fryer is different. Feel free to pull out the basket at any time and check the doneness or adjust the timing if needed.
- Do not add too much red food coloring or red yeast powder, a little bit goes a long way.
- It is important to use the right cut of pork, like Boston butt, as it has the perfect fat content for char siu.
- Make sure the length of the meat strips fits into your air fryer basket.
- Use a fork to poke lots of holes on the pork, this helps the marinade infuse into the meat evenly.
- Drizzle Chinese cooking wine in batches and rub it all over the meat to remove moisture and unwanted smells from the meat.
- Use paper towels to absorb the excess moisture on the surface so it doesn't dilute the sauce.
- Marinate the pork overnight in the fridge to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.
- When cooking the char siu, brush the meat with the extra sauce and honey to create that beautiful caramelized honey sauce.
- Make sure the sauce is thick like a gravy before marinating, this helps the seasonings to wrap around and cling onto the meat so the end result becomes even more flavorful.
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