Do you like pork buns? Of course you do, they’re all the rage and are so hot right now. If you can’t make it out to your nearest momofuku to cop these really inexpensive porky treats at super inflated prices, I’ve got a solutions for you, make your own! My recipe for braised pork belly baos (buns) with ginger-scallion oil is super simple, a fraction of the price of what you would pay at a restaurant and a lot more authentic… somewhat.
Ingredients:
Pork:
-1kg skin-on pork belly
-2 tbsp Chinkiang Vinegar (can substitute with rice vinegar)
-3 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or cooking wine/sherry)
-2 tsp light soy sauce
-3 tsp dark soy sauce
-1 tsp Chicken soup powder
-2 cans Cherry Coke
-3 pieces of ginger sliced into coins
-3 stalks of the whites of scallion
Ginger scallion oil:
-5 stalks of sliced scallion
-2 tbsp grated ginger
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp white pepper
-1 package of frozen Chinese mantou buns
-Sliced cucumber, hoisin sauce and cilantro for garnish
Directions:
Slice your pork belly into one half inch by two inch strips and sear them in a deep flat-bottomed wok or crock pot at high heat. *Freeze the meat for 30 mins to make the slicing easier*
Once they start to brown, add your ginger slices and 3 stalks of the white part of the scallions and continue to fry for 10 mins.
Add vinegar, wine, light and dark soy sauce, chicken powder and slowly pour in the two cans of cherry coke. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover. After 20 mins, flip the pork and rotate. Continue to simmer for another 20 mins. Cook for about 60 mins in total or until pork is tender.
Place the sliced scallion and grated ginger in a heat proof bowl. Heat 1/2 c vegetable oil over medium heat. Place a piece of scallion in the oil and if it sizzles, the oil is at the right temperature. Carefully pour the oil into the bowl and mix with salt and white pepper, and set aside.
I use frozen mantou buns; why? Because it’s easier and more accessible. You can even buy fresh mantou buns from bakeries in Chinatown. You can steam these from frozen and they’re done before you know it. The trick is to have them sit out for 10 mins and with a serrated knife, slice them down the middle while they’re still hard! This is integral to your pork bao experience. You’ll never be able to slice a freshly steamed mantou in half without squeezing the crap out of it like they do on those miracle blade infomercials.
Slather the inside of the bun with hoisin sauce, slide in slices of cumber, pork and top with ginger and scallion oil and a sprig of cilantro. The process is pretty straight forward, putting everything in a crockpot, browning the meat then just letting it go. If you’re set on making your own buns or mantou, I will have a recipe for that coming up shortly.
The savouriness of the pork is off the charts, with subtle hints of briny vinegar complimented by the sweetness and curious fruitiness of the cherry coke, each bite is highlighted by the aromatic scallion oil which helps cut through the richness of each bite. This bun eats well because the contrast of sweet and salty that goes deliciously with the fatty unctuousness of the pork.
If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes!
Enjoy!
- Pork
- 2kg skin-on pork belly
- 2 tbsp Chinkiang Vinegar (can substitute with rice vinegar)
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or cooking wine/sherry)
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 3 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp Chicken soup powder
- 2 cans Cherry Coke
- 3 pieces of ginger sliced into coins
- 3 stalks of the whites of scallion
- Ginger scallion oil:
- 5 stalks of sliced scallion
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- Buns
- 1 package of frozen Chinese mantou buns
- Sliced cucumber, hoisin sauce and cilantro for garnish
- Slice your pork belly into one half inch by two inch strips and sear them in a deep flat-bottomed wok or crock pot at high heat. *Freeze the meat for 30 mins to make the slicing easier*
- Once they start to brown, add your ginger slices and 3 stalks of the white part of the scallions and continue to fry for 10 mins.
- Add vinegar, wine, light and dark soy sauce, chicken powder and slowly pour in the two cans of cherry coke. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover. After 20 mins, flip the pork and rotate. Continue to simmer for another 20 mins. Cook for about 60 mins in total or until pork is tender.
- Place the sliced scallion and grated ginger in a heat proof bowl. Heat 1/2 c vegetable oil over medium heat. Place a piece of scallion in the oil and if it sizzles, the oil is at the right temperature. Carefully pour the oil into the bowl and mix with salt and white pepper, and set aside.
- I use frozen mantou buns; why? Because it’s easier and more accessible. You can even buy fresh mantou buns from bakeries in Chinatown. You can steam these from frozen and they’re done before you know it. The trick is to have them sit out for 10 mins and with a serrated knife, slice them down the middle while they’re still hard! This is integral to your pork bao experience. You’ll never be able to slice a freshly steamed mantou in half without squeezing the crap out of it like they do on those miracle blade infomercials.
- Slather the inside of the bun with hoisin sauce, slide in slices of cumber, pork and top with ginger and scallion oil and a sprig of cilantro. The process is pretty straight forward, putting everything in a crockpot browning the meat then just letting it go. If you’re set on making your own buns or mantou, I will have a recipe for that coming up shortly.
- Stay sexy
