Pork Belly Bao
Pork belly Bao
A slow braised char sui on top of a fresh steamed bun garnished with cilantro, pickled red cabbage, pickled carrots, and a dusting of powder peanuts
Charsui
(Braised pork belly)
Ingredients
1lbs pork belly
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
8 cloves garlic
1 small knob of ginger peeled and sliced
1 quart of water
Procedure
1.Heat a skillet over high heat and sear your pork belly until golden brown on all sides
2.Remove the pork belly from the pan, reduce the heat and add your garlic and green onion (cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute)
3.Deglaze the pan with mirin and then add the soy, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger then mix will combined
4.Return the pork belly to the pan and add 1 quart of water then simmer for 3-4 hours.
5.Once the pork belly is tender remove it from the pot and refrigerate to solidify it and make it easier to slice (roughly 3-4 hours)
6.Strain the impurities from the braising liquid and reduce the braising liquid by 1/2
7.Add a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water to thicken the braising liquid further
8.Once the pork belly has become firm begin to slice it
9.Lay the pork belly slices on a wire rack and brush with the reduced braising liquid
10.The pork belly then can either be charred with a torch or under a broiler
Bao bun
Ingredients
2 cups bread flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cups warm milk
Procedure
1.Combine your warm milk, yeast, and sugar and let sit until the yeast is activated and foamy(roughly 10 minutes)
2.Combine the bread flour, baking powder, and salt then add the milk and yeast mixture and mix until it resembles a dough
3.Begin kneading the dough until it passes the window pane test
4.Place in a greased bowl and cover and let rise until doubled in size(roughly 2 hours)
5.Once the dough has risen, roll it out until it is around 1/4 an inch thick
6.Use a biscuit cutter to form the dough into disks(I used a quart container and that works as well)
7.Fold the disks in half and place on a piece of parchment
8.Steam the buns for 10-12 minutes
Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
Procedure
1.Blanch the carrots and in boiling water for 1 minute then transfer to ice water
2.Whisk the vinegar, sugar, and salt together until fully combined
3.Once the carrots are cooled transfer to a mason jar then pour the brine on top
4.Let the carrots sit in the brine for at least 1 day
Pickled Cabbage
Ingredients
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
Procedure
1.Blanch the cabbage and in boiling water for 1 minute then transfer to ice water
2.Whisk the vinegar, sugar, and salt together until fully combined
3.Once the cabbage are cooled transfer to a mason jar then pour the brine on top
4.Let the cabbage sit in the brine for at least 1 day
Peanut topping
Ingredients
1/2 cup salted peanuts
2 tsp powder sugar
Procedure
1.Place the peanuts and sugar in a food processor and blend until it resembles a powder
