The Dinner: Pork Bao Buns
Pork Bao is the BEST. Who doesn’t love this dish? The mix of soft, pillowy buns with the crispness of caramelized pork is heavenly - and SHOCKINGLY easy to make at home! I surprised my boyfriend with these buns - his favorite - when he recently got back from a trip, and it was the best welcome home gift I could have created! Next time you want to impress dinner party guests, or cook up something special for a loved one’s birthday, try my SIMPLE formula for delicious pork buns. While there are a few steps to this recipe, it is not difficult in terms of technique. Both the buns and the filling only require beginner-intermediate skills, and while you need a stand mixer and a steamer basket, no other fancy equipment is required!
The basic formula is written below, and then in the remainder of the post, I describe how to prepare all the individual aspects.
Ingredients:
1/2 recipe of Momofoku bao buns
Start around 3 hours ahead.
1.5 lbs of pork belly filling
If using a pork belly slab, following Momofoku filling recipe and plan to start at least 9 hours and up to one day ahead..
If you are using pre-sliced pork belly, make the filling 30 minutes before you start the buns, so you can use the rendered pork fat, at room temperature, in the buns.
Hoisin sauce
Make right before you plan to eat.
Pickled radishes and cucumbers
Make up to 2 weeks ahead, and no more than 1 hour ahead)
Instructions:
After the buns have steamed and then cooled for a few minutes, pry the two sides apart.
Spread a spoonful of Hoisin sauce on both sides of the bun.
Put a few pieces of filling into the bun, and then top with pickled radishes, cucumbers, and scallions.
Serve with more Hoisin sauce.
The Buns
Unsurprisingly, Momofoku has an incredible recipe for Bao Buns that is easy to execute and absolutely delicious. Don’t be intimidated- they are actually simple to make and your friends will be SO impressed! Find the recipe HERE. The page also has instructions for making the filling — but see below for my thoughts on filling!
The Filling
There are a few options for the filling. If you can only find large slabs of pork belly (I found some on D’artagnan), then you can cook the pork belly the way that Momofoku does, as described on the same page as the bun instructions. However, if you can find sliced pork belly (many Asian grocery stores sell it and I found it a few months ago on CrowdCow), then I recommend cooking the sliced strips according to the method below:
Ingredients:
1.5 lb thick cut pork belly strips
1/2 cup Gochujang
3 tbsp coconut aminos
2 tbsp Mirin or rice wine
2 tbsp chili flakes or chili powder (preferably Korean)
2 tbsp Monkfruit sweetener
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
Instructions:
Add all the ingredients except the pork belly to a medium bowl and stir to create a marinade.
Place the pork belly in the marinade and mix with hands until the strips are fully coated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature. Alternatively, you can marinate up to 8 hours in the fridge (or overnight).
Position over rack about 6 inches away from the top of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the pork belly strips on a foil lined baking sheet. Put in the oven and turn the heat up to BROIL.
Watch the strips closely to make sure they do not burn. Allow them to broil until crispy and browned, between 5-8 minutes for each side (flip with tongs when one side looks done).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into bite sized strips.
Right before you are ready to stuff the buns, give the strips a quick toss in a warm pan to crisp them up again.
The Sauce
You can buy hoisin sauce from the grocery store - but if you want to truly WOW yourself and whoever you’ll be feeding, I recommend making your own. I have tried this recipe with both store-bought and homemade hoisin, and I think the flavor of the homemade stuff is FAR superior.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 tbsp maple or allulose syrup
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp water
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp allspice
Instructions:
Mix together all the ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat, until fully combined.
Remove from heat and allow to cool before spreading on the buns.
The Veggies
Ingredients:
1/2 large or 1 medium cucumber
3-4 small radishes
Instructions:
Thinly slice the radishes and cucumbers (use a mandolin if you have one) and place them in a large heatproof jar or bowl.
Heat 2 cups vinegar (apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar will work great), 1 cup of water, 1/3 cup Lakanto Classic monkfruit sweetener, and 1 tablespoon himalayan pink sea salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the monkfruit crystals are completely dissolved.
Pour the heated mixture over the vegetables in the bowl or jar, and press them down with a spoon to ensure they are fully covered.
Let the onions cool at room temperature for 30 minutes or so, and then place them in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
These pickled veggies will last in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, so you can make them ahead and use leftovers with other dishes!