Cut the pork into strips or chunks about 2 to 3 inches thick. Keep them as large as possible while still being able to fit 2-3 pieces comfortably in your air fryer (ours were about 9-10 ounces each). Don’t trim any excess fat.
Combine the sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, food coloring (if using), and garlic in a bowl to make the BBQ sauce/marinade. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade in a small bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate. Rub the pork with the rest of the marinade in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Take the char siu out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for about 2 hours, or until it gets close to room temperature.
Add ¼ cup of hot water to the air fryer basket, with the rack on top. Place the pork on the rack in the basket so the pieces are not touching.
Air fryers usually have to warm up before placing food inside, but for this recipe, just insert the basket, set the temperature to 375°F, and turn it on. If your air fryer has a notification to place the food, just leave it alone, and it will continue to cook at the set temperature. All that said, air fryers do vary, so you may have to adjust the cooking time.
The recommended cooking time for 9 to 10 ounce pieces is a total of 15 to 18 minutes. You can use 3 cooking intervals for 5 to 6 minutes each, but if you reduce the size to 6 to 7 ounces, you may only need 3 minutes for the last interval for a total of 13 to 15 minutes. Combine the reserved marinade with the remaining 1 tablespoon hot water and the maltose. At each 5-6 min interval, brush the pork lightly with the reserved marinade mixture, flip, and brush the other side. Then reset the timer at the same temperature, 375°F. If the water has evaporated, add more hot water (make sure it’s HOT, or it’ll cool down the air fryer).
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Note: Prep time does not include overnight marinating time!