Gua Bao

Gua Bao

Wonderful, Flavorful Steamed Pork Buns With a Sticky Glaze!

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 24 hours

Cooking Time: 4+ hours

Ingredients

2-3 lbs. pork belly, trim excess fat

12 Bao buns, fresh or frozen, thawed (ready to steam)

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cups soy sauce

1 cup Chinese white wine or Mirin

1 1/2 cups brown sugar/ palm sugar

8 cloves garlic, sliced

1 cup chopped green onions

5 slice fresh ginger

1 tbsp whole peppercorns

1 tbsp Chinese Five spice

5 star anise

Condiments

shredded cabbage 

shredded carrots

sliced green onions

cucumber or pickled cucumber

 

Cooking Tools

Bamboo Steamer

Dutch Oven with lid

Mesh strainer

All Clad Non-stick Frying pan

Calphalon Wok

Directions

The first step would be to braise the pork belly. On medium low heat in a Dutch oven pot, add: Pork Belly, stock, water, vinegar, soy sauce, wine, sugar, garlic, green onions, ginger, peppercorns, Chinese Five spice and star anise.  Bring liquid to a rolling boil and then reduce heat to low, cover lid and cook for 3-4 hours.  Flip pork belly a few time during the cooking process. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove pork belly and strain liquid of all debris (discard) and place pork belly back in the strained liquid. Place pork belly in liquid in refrigerator overnight. Remove solidified fat on top of liquid and discard. Remove pork belly from liquid and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Fry pork belly slices for a few minutes on each side on medium heat to crisp up the fat.  Use some of the braising liquid to create a glaze for the pork belly. Reduce heat until the glaze becomes sticky.  Steam dumpling in the steamer over water in a wok.  Steam buns according to the manufacturers directions. Place Pork belly in steamed buns and garnish with the condiments, you may also add more glaze to the pork belly.  Serve hot!!

Serves 4

Pork Manju

Pork Manju
This Recipe Brings Me Back To My Childhood Memory!
Difficulty: Moderate
Prep Time:  4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour

 Ingredients
Dough
2 1/2 cups sifted flour + dusting
1 package of yeast
4 tbsp + 6 tbsp warm water, plus additional as needed
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lard
1/3 tsp baking powder
oil for greasing

Cooking Tools
2 Large mixing bowl
parchment lined sheet pan
Bamboo steamer
Skillet
Parchment paper (8) cut 4" x 4"
Rolling pin
Wok

Directions
In a clean mixing bowl add 4 tbsp of warm water, sugar and yeast.  Activate yeast for about 10 minutes.  Into the mixing bowl, add; flour, lard, salt and 6 tbsp of warm water.  Work flour into ingredients and knead into a dough ball, add additional water as necessary, the dough should pull away from the bowl, place needed dough into a slightly greased mixing bowl and place in a warm location covered to rise for 1 1/2 hours.  Remove risen dough onto a floured + 1/3 tsp baking powder surface and knead dough for an additional few minutes and place back into the greased mixing bowl, cover to rise again for 1 hour.  Remove risen dough onto a lightly dusted surface and divide dough into 8 dough balls. Roll out each dough ball into about 5-6 inches and stuff each round with 2 heaping tbsp of the Sweet Miso Pork Filling (recipe below) into the center, fold up all sides, seal the seams and place each round ball seam side down onto a flour dusted parchment lined sheet pan.  Place covered stuffed dough balls in a warm location and let it rise again for 1 more hour.  Place wok on medium heat and add water, just enough before it hits the bottom of the bamboo steamer.  Place stuffed dough balls on 4" x 4" parchment paper seam side down and place in steamer with lid and steam for 15 minutes. It is best to cook in batches.
Yields 8

 Ingredients
Sweet Miso Pork Filling
1 lb. pork belly, minced
3/4 cup miso
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp sake
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions
On medium low heat, add minced pork belly to the skillet with oil and cook until nice and crispy and the fat has rendered down, about 20 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low simmer for additional 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool before stuffing dough.