Overnight delight: Roasted Red Pork(char siu)

Char siu is one of my favorite ways to enjoy pork. It is a sweet and savory marinade that renders the meat very tender and flavorful. While there is a Chinatown in Rome, there are not so many shops with the roasted ducks and pork hanging in the window. So this recipe was the result of longing for the roast pork from Hong Kong Pearl. The important part about this recipe is to ensure that the pork cut has enough fat, because the marbleing gives an enormous amount of flavor. You could do this with chicken or beef, (I would use chicken thighs or flank steak that has fat throughout) but pork is the best for this recipe. Once you have this recipe down, you can make bao! I also really like to make a fried rice from the leftover pork. Delicious!

Ingredients:

• 500 grams/ 1 lb pork shank, filet or shoulder cut (bone in or not, just make sure there is some fat on it!)

• 2 Tablespoons sugar (white, cane or brown sugar works)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar (or Vinegar for Sushi Rice or White Vinegar - just not balsamic!)

• 1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce

• 1 teaspoon molasses

• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

• 1 garlic clove minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 Tablespoon water

Directions

Put the pork aside. Mix all of the ingredients in a ziploc bag or tupperware until the liquid is even and glossy. Place the pork in the bag or container and ensure the meat is coated. Allow to marinade overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the marinated pork on a grill on a baking sheet. Pour a cup of water in the baking sheet underneath. Bake the pork for 20 minutes and then flip over and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Keep and eye on the meat - it can go from beautiful, glazed and delicious to burnt in less than five minutes. The edges and the fat may become darkbut its ok - just not the entire piece of meat! Remove from the oven and let it rest. Cut and serve immediately.

Update: Air fryer version! Preheat the airfryer to 200C/400F for 3 minutes. Place the pork in the basket for 7 minutes. Flip the pork and bake for another 7-10 minutes. Done!