Chinese BBQ Pork has gained notoriety around the world as it often makes an appearance at most restaurants and buffets. Tasting a bit salty and sweet, Char Siu Pork is most well known for its color, a bright red most commonly achieved with food coloring or other artificial ingredients. My version of this classic roast pork, Air Fryer Chinese Char Siu Pork Bites, skips the fake coloring additives and focuses on the taste alone! By using a fatty cut of pork shoulder and cooking the pieces in an air fryer, we avoid the typical shortfalls of dry pork loins many restaurants tend to use. Using just a bit of knife work to break down our large pork cut and making a quick blend of spices and seasonings, anyone can recreate this delicious pork dish in their very own kitchen at home...Let's Get Cooking!
The first step to create this classic Chinese pork dish is to break down our pork shoulder into small, bite-sized pieces. While full, bone-in shoulders typically range in that 9-12 pound area, many grocery stores offer a smaller, 3 pound piece of the shoulder that works perfect for this particular recipe. Either one works fine, and you can certainly freeze any extra for later use in a different recipe or for making sausage. Don't bother trimming any fat unless your piece has a thick fat cap, and just focus on slicing the shoulder one direction before laying them flat and cutting them down into smaller 1-inch or so chunks. The important to remember, at this point, is that you want all the pieces roughly the same dimensions so they cook equally in the air fryer, and you don't end up with half over-cooked and half under-cooked pork. If you intend to serve your Char Siu Pork with rice as a main course, you can leave your pieces a little on the larger side. Otherwise, smaller pieces make for great snacking or appetizers!
Next, we will focus our attention on the marinade that brings all the flavor to this recipe. Combine the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice wine, and white pepper to a mixing bowl and stir until well mixed. Many other chefs also call for Chinese Five Spice, but I'm personally not a huge fan of that flavor profile so I omitted it from my recipe. If you want to add it to your batch, 1-2 teaspoons should be plenty.
Once your pork has been cut and the marinade mixed, simply combine the 2 in a large bowl or sealable container and make sure all the pork is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate your Char Siu Pork at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight so the pork has ample time to soak up all those wonderful flavors.
Once your pork has marinated, strain off the excess marinade and place the bites into your air fryer. You can save the excess marinade and boil it for a few minutes to kill of any bacteria and create a glaze or dipping sauce, but it isn't necessary as the pork should have plenty of flavor as is. Be sure to leave a little space between each piece for air flow and better crisping in your air fryer. The pork won't cook evenly or get a nice outer crust if you just pile it in and cook it haphazardly. You will likely have to cook your pork in a few batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Depending on the size of your pork bites, cook them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-9 minutes. This should be about perfect for 1-inch chunks. Smaller appetizer-type bites will cook quicker so be careful not to overcook them. As long as the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, your pork is safe to consume, even if still slightly pink in the center.
If you turned your excess marinade into a basting sauce, brush your pork bites with it about halfway through cooking. It isn't necessary to flip your pork, but if basting you will likely want to get the sauce on all sides. Otherwise, empty your air fryer and repeat the process until all your pork has been cooked. Believe it or not, that is all it takes to create this delicious Air Fryer Chinese Char Siu Pork Bites recipe! It may look a little different from what you might find at your local Chinese restaurant, but the marinade we created will have made that unmistakable delicious flavor profile we all love when it comes to Chinese BBQ! Give it a try and let me know what you and your family thought of this recipe. You can serve it with rice as a main course or simply leave it in a bowl with some toothpicks for munching and snacking. This simple recipe is a great demonstration to show anyone how to recreate delicious global cuisine in their very own homes so shake off those fears and get in the kitchen...Just Keep Cooking!
AIR FRYER CHINESE CHAR SIU PORK BITES
Comments