Pork Belly Buns Food

SPIT-ROASTED PORK BELLY BUNS

Steps:

• Rub both sides of the pork belly with the vegetable oil. Season with salt, pepper and Chinese five-spice powder.
• Roll the belly into a cylinder, skin side out, and truss tightly with butcher's twine. Place on a spit and roast until tender, with a drip pan underneath to catch the rendered fat, 3½-4 hours. To crisp the skin, stop the spit from rotating so that the skin gets broiled and puffy (watch carefully, as this will happen quickly); then turn to crisp all sides. (Note: If you don't have a spit, place the trussed pork belly on a rack set inside a roasting pan, with the seam side down, and add about a cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil and roast at 325 degrees F for 3½ hours. Turn the oven up to 500 F, remove the foil, and let the skin crisp up for the last 30 minutes.)
• Remove the belly from the spit, and allow it to rest outside the oven while you prepare the buns. Prepare a steam basket set over a wok partially filled with boiling water, or use a pasta insert elevated over a pot of water. Steam the buns to reheat, 5-10 minutes.
• To portion the pork belly, remove the butcher's twine and slice with a serrated knife. Assemble the buns by layering hoisin sauce, sliced cucumber, scallion whites and a piece of the pork belly. Serve immediately.

STICKY PORK BELLY BAO BUNS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. In batches, brown the pork belly well, then transfer to a plate. Tip the sugar into the dish and cook over a medium heat until starting to dissolve and caramelise, then quickly stir in the garlic, ginger and star anise, and cook for 1 min.
• Carefully pour in the rice wine and soy sauce - watch out, it will spatter - and simmer to dissolve the sugar. Stir the pork into the caramel to coat, then add 100ml water and the five-spice, and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 1 hr 30 mins. Remove from the oven, uncover, put on a high heat to simmer and reduce the sauce until sticky. Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and chilled. Reheat with a splash of water.
• To make the chilli peanuts, mash most of the peanuts using a pestle and mortar, then add the rest of the nuts and roughly crush for a chunky texture. Stir through the togarashi powder. Can be made 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.
• For the buns, tip the dry ingredients and a large pinch of salt into a food mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour in the milk, oil and 100ml tepid water, and work the mixture for about 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave to double in size (for about 1 hr)
• Tip the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a sausage shape. Cut the sausage into 10 equal portions. Roll each portion into a bun, then use a rolling pin to roll each bun out into an oval. Lightly grease each one, then fold them over a greased chopstick or skewer and place on a lightly oiled baking tray to rest for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Remove the chopstick or skewer before steaming.
• Heat a steamer and steam the buns on circles of baking parchment in batches for about 10 mins until puffed up. Split the buns and stuff each one with a slice or two of the pork, drizzled with some of the sauce. Scatter over some coriander, cucumber and spring onions, then sprinkle with the crushed nuts and tuck in.

GUA BAO - PORK BELLY STEAMED BUNS

Steps:

• Preheat your sous vide water bath to 176 F (80 C).
• Place the pork belly, Chinese five-spice powder, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and green onion in a gallon-size freezer-safe ziplock bag.
• Slowly lower the bag below the water line to squeeze out air. Everything below the zippered closing must be submerged in water. Seal the opening or drape it over the edge of the container and clip to the side.
• When the water reaches 176 F gently lower the bag with pork belly into the water bath. Make sure that the meat is completely submerged in water.
• Cook pork belly for 10 hours until very soft.
• Remove the bag from the water and let the pork belly rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Strain the juice from the bag through the mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer stirring often until the liquid is reduced by half and became thick and syrupy.
• Brush the pork belly with the hot glaze and then cut against the grain into 1/4 inch slices.
• Steam the frozen bao buns according to the manufacturer's instruction.
• To serve, carefully open each bun, put 1-2 pieces of pork belly, and a few slices of radish and cucumber. Top with chopped green onion.
• Serve the pork belly buns immediately with some Sriracha and hoisin sauce on the side.

GUA BAO (TAIWANESE PORK BELLY BUNS, 割包)

Steps:

• (Optional) If you're making my Gua Bao Bun recipe, cook the pork during the first rise of the dough. Shape the steamed buns while the pork is cooking. Then steam the buns after the pork belly is cooked.
• Heat a large skillet (*Footnote 2) over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the pork belly. Cook on both sides until the edges just turn golden, then transfer to a plate.
• Add the garlic, green onions, and ginger to the same skillet. Stir to release the fragrance, about 1 minute. Add the star anise, cinnamon, and chilis. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Pour in the shaoxing wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to release the brown bits. Then add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to mix well.
• Add the browned pork back back to the pan, flipping once to coat the pork with the seasonings. Add the white pepper and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Braise, covered, for 1 to 1.5 hours, flipping occasionally, until the pork turns tender but not to a degree that it falls apart.
• Once the pork is done, remove the pork from the pan and place it onto a big plate. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent from drying out.
• Add a mesh strainer over a tall cup (or an oil separator), strain the braising liquid and discard all the solid spices. Use a ladle or big spoon to skim the fat off the top and discard (*Footnote 3). Once you've removed most of the oil, return the liquid to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat and let the broth reduce until thickened, 10 minutes or so. (*Footnote 4)
• Slice the pork belly into 2.5" (6 cm) pieces and add it to the reduced sauce. Flip a few times to coat the pork, then transfer the pork to a serving plate with the remaining sauce on the side in a small bowl.

CRISPY PORK BELLY BAO BUNS

Steps:

• For the pork belly and marinade: Blend the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and sesame oil in a blender.
• Put pork belly in a roasting pan and pour marinade over. Let marinate overnight in refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F.
• Cook for 4 hours. Remove from oven and let cool. Pour off excess liquid, then place pork belly in fridge overnight. Slice into 1/4-inch pieces.
• For the bao buns: Steam or microwave bao buns until warm and soft.
• In a hot frying pan over medium heat, cook sliced pork belly to crisp up. On a serving plate, place 3 bao buns. Place a slice of crispy pork belly, a hoisin sauce drizzle, cucumber, Pickled Red Onion and cilantro leaves. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve hot.
• Mix together the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepot. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Pour warm mixture over red onions in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days before using.

TAIWANESE PORK BELLY BUNS (GUA BAO) RECIPE

Steps:

• For the Pork Belly: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Cook pork belly until lightly browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip pork belly and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer pork belly to a plate and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add garlic and ginger and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until fragrant. Add star anise and chile (if using), and sugar and cook, stirring, until the sugar is melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Add rice wine and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add five-spice powder, dark and light soy sauces, and water and bring to a boil.
• Return pork belly to the skillet and reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and cook until pork belly is very tender, at least 1 hour or preferably 2 hours.
• For the Buns and Toppings: Meanwhile, combine peanuts and sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the mixture resembles a coarse powder, about 1 minute.
• Set a steamer over a pot of boiling water. Add buns, cover steamer and cook until buns are heated through and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• To Serve: Spread pickled mustard greens inside each steamed bun and set a piece of pork belly on top of mustard greens. Top pork belly with a pinch of chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of peanut powder. Serve immediately.

TAIWANESE-STYLE PORK BELLY BUNS

Steps:

• Cut the pork belly into large pieces (2 inches in length) that are still easy to pick up with tongs.
• Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over mediumhigh heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the pork and sear on all sides until lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and cook briefly, for about 20 seconds, so that they become aromatic.
• Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, chilies, and Sichuan pepper. Bring the liquid to boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until the pork belly is fork tender.
• When the pork is ready, use tongs to transfer it to a cutting board and cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the pork to the braising liquid and cover to keep warm until the buns are ready.
• Steam the buns according to package instructions. You can assemble the buns by placing a slice of pork belly on the bottom, then top it off with a small spoonful of hoisin sauce, a dusting of crushed peanuts, and a bit of cilantro. Or for a more hands-on experience for your guests, bring the individual components to the table so that all can assemble their own buns.

BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• To prepare the pork belly, place an 11-inch sauté pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Using tongs, carefully place the fatty side of the pork belly in the pan and cook until it turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the pork belly over and repeat on the other sides until nicely browned all over. Decrease the heat if the oil begins to smoke again.
• In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the seared pork belly, the cold water, sake, and smashed ginger, and place over high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then decrease the heat; simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
• To make the braising liquid, combine all the ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan.
• Drain the pork belly and discard the liquid, then add the pork belly to the braising liquid in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Braise for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork belly is very tender.
• Transfer the pork belly and braising liquid to a container and refrigerate, uncovered, until cool, then cover and chill overnight.
• The next day, assemble a steamer on the stove top. You can use a perforated pan, steam basket, or bamboo steamer. Fill the bottom with water, cover, and set over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium once the water comes to a boil.
• To prepare the garnishes, discard the outer leaves of the iceberg lettuce. Place 3 large leaves in a bowl of cold water along with the cucumber slices. Set aside. (I like to soak cut vegetables in cold water for 10 minutes because it helps them retain their freshness and crispness.)
• To make the sauce, combine 1/2 cup of the chilled braising liquid and the hoisin sauce in a small saucepan and set over high heat. In a bowl, mix the water and cornstarch until smooth. When the sauce just begins to boil, whisk in the cornstarch and cook briefly, just until the sauce begins to thicken. Make sure that it doesn't thicken too much-the sauce should run in a steady stream when poured. Set aside.
• To make the mustard sauce, mix the mustard powder and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Remove the pork belly from the remaining braising liquid and cut into 8 slices, each 1/4 inch thick. (You'll have leftover pork belly after you cut these slices. See below for other uses.) Place the slices in a single layer side by side with the halved buns on a plate small enough to fit in the steamer (don't put the buns directly on the steamer because they will stick to it). If you have a large steamer you can do this in one batch, if your steamer is smaller, just steam the pork belly and buns in several batches. Set the plate in the steamer, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft and heated through.
• While the pork belly and buns are steaming, finish preparing the garnishes by draining the lettuce and cucumber and patting dry with a towel. Cut the lettuce into pieces the size of the steamed buns and stack in 4 small piles. Top each pile with 2 slices of cucumber.
• To serve, assemble a braised pork "sandwich" by placing the lettuce, cucumber, and 2 slices of pork belly on half of a bun. Drizzle the sauce over the meat and top with the other half of the bun. Serve the mustard on the side. Repeat for the remaining 3 buns.
• Ideas for Leftover Pork Belly
• Any leftover pork belly and remaining braising liquid can be frozen for up to 2 months. The braising liquid can be used in the Shoyu Ramen broth (page 24) and the pork belly can be used as a garnish for various ramens or for fried rice.