Taiwanese Style Pork Belly Buns Recipes

TAIWAN PORK BELLY BUNS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• The Buns: In a measuring jug, place the sugar and warm water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the active yeast, then stir and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder.
• Add the yeast mixture to the bowl and stir until nearly combined.
• Add the oil, then stir until fully incorporated.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10-15 minutes.
• Once the dough is smooth, return it to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave for 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and knock it back by kneading for 1 minute.
• Cut into 10 equal pieces.
• Roll each piece into a ball, place onto a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes.
• Onto a floured work surface, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand.
• Roll out to 2 millimetres.
• Lightly brush one side with sesame oil, then fold in half and place back onto the baking sheet. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
• Set steamer over a high heat, then steam buns for 8-10 minutes.
• The Pork: Slice the pork belly into 1 inch-thick (2 ½ cm) pieces.
• Fill a large pot with water. Put in the pork, spring onion, ginger, and cooking wine. Bring the water to boil.
• Drain the pork and discard the remaining water and vegetables. Clean and dry the pot.
• Return the pot to a high heat and add oil.
• Fry the pork until it browned.
• Add garlic, spring onion, ginger, sugar, five spice, cooking wine, and dark and light soy sauce. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
• Add the water, stir, and cover.
• Reduce to a low heat and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Check and stir every 10 minutes or so and add water if the pot is getting dry.
• Bao
• Fill one bun with one slice of pork, top with coriander, pickled cabbage, and roasted crushed peanuts.
• Enjoy!

TAIWANESE PORK BUNS

Steps:

• Combine all filling ingredients well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, white sugar and salt. Stir in water and form a dough. Add some more warm water if needed. Let set for 10 minutes. Add canola oil and knead until smooth, about 8-10minutes. While kneading, add some more water or flour if needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about an hour.
• Punch down dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and divide into 15 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a thick-centered and thin-edged circle, about 4 inches. Place about 1/2 cup filling in the center of dough. Lift edges of dough and pinch small portion around the filling until filling is sealed inside. Repeat same process for the rest of 14 buns.
• Line bamboo steamer with non-stick baking sheet. Place buns in it and cover. Let rise in a warm place until dough doesn't bounce back when slightly press with a finger, about 40 minutes. Leave about 1 inch between each bun to rise. If you use a stainless steamer, wrap steamer lid tight with a big cloth to prevent water dripping from the lid.
• Bring water to boil over medium-high heat and steam buns for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and open a small gap. Please do not uncover immediately otherwise buns would shrink. Wait for 10 minutes and then enjoy!

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.

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-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.

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.