← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 800 g skinless pork belly or shoulder, in large chunks
• 4 slices Ginger
• 2 Spring onion
• 2 Star anise
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 4 Dried chillies
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 30 g rock sugar or brown sugar
• 1.2 l Water
• 300 g plain flour
• 3 g instant dried yeast
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 180 ml lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Blanch the pork in boiling water for 5 min, drain and rinse. Put it in a heavy pot with all the other pork ingredients and bring to the boil.
2. Cover and simmer very gently for 2 hours, until the pork is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Leave it in the braising liquid while you make the buns.
3. For the buns, mix the flour, yeast, baking powder, salt and sugar, add the water and oil and knead for 8 min into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
4. Divide into 6 pieces. Roll each into a long strip, roll it up like a snail, stand it on end and press into a 10 cm disc about 1.5 cm thick. Rest for 10 min.
5. Cook the discs in a dry heavy frying pan over medium-low heat for 6–8 min per side, until golden in spots and they sound hollow when tapped. The sides should look ridged and slightly raised.
6. Lift out the pork and chop it on a board with some of the chillies and coriander, spooning over a little braising liquid so it is juicy. Split each warm bun almost all the way through and stuff it generously.

Tips

• The braising liquid ("lao tang") can be strained and frozen to braise your next batch.
• In Xi’an, Muslim vendors make a beef or lamb version with cumin.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Seasaltwithfood Sift & Simmer SBS Food