Dad started making char siu in a water heater he picked up at the Waianae dump, converted to a smoker and made his own hooks from old wire hangers.  I am not good at keeping a fire at the right temperature and prefer a pellet smoker since it's easier to set up and let it smoke.  I respect all the BBQ pitmasters who have the skill to do it!

Tips - Monk Fruit is an excellent substitute for sugar, since Dad was diabetic, finding the thick soy sauce was always and adventure in Asian markets, especially on weekends.  The red bean curd gives the char siu its pretty red color, no extra food coloring needed.

Here is Dad's char siu made in his smoker with lots of hard work managing a fire, compared to my lazy pellet smoker version, I am ok with that since it's all about eating for me!