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Steamed Bao Buns with Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork Belly



Bao bun

[60% hydration]

300 grams all purpose flour, mix w cake flour  (175g / 75g)

3 grams baking powder (1/2tsp)

25 grams sugar

30 grams lard  (you can sub whatever fat you have or prefer)

5 grams salt 

4 grams instant yeast 

180 grams, warm H2O/milk mix


Chairman Mao’s Red Braised Pork Belly

1 kg pork, cut 3/4” chunks, blanched

40 grams rock sugar, crushed up well

6 slices fresh ginger 

5 scallions chopped, and separate the colors

30 grams vegetable oil

110 grams Xiaoxing wine

45 grams light soy

22 grams dark soy 

1 cinnamon stick, about 10cm long

2 star anise

4 bay leaf

1 pc dried red chili, the heat level of which is up to you

1 liter h2o


Note: for most liquids, gram weights are almost identical to milliliters 


Method

-add the veg oil to a pot, and caramelize the crushed rock sugar in it.

-do not overcook the sugar, or it will burn, and you will have to start over.

-select a pot big enough to fit all ingredients, probably a 2 liter size should work.

-blanch the pork belly for 1 minute in boiling water, then drain.

-dry the pork belly well, then add to the pot as soon as the sugar begins to turn caramel colored.


!! Be careful! Pork belly skin will spit hot oil and sugar at you. Best to use a splatter screen.


-turn the pork pieces over in the caramel to coat them on all sides, then add all remaining ingredients except the green parts of the scallions.

-braise the pork until the meaty part is very tender, and the pork skin is “melt in the mouth” tender, about 1.5-2 hours.

-cook longer if necessary to get the skin to melting tenderness.

-remove the pork, then reduce extra juice to a light syrup. 

-return the pork to the syrup after it’s ready.

-add chopped green scallions over the top for service.


Notes: 

1-you can adjust the sweetness a little bit to taste. When near the finish cooking point, add a teaspoon of vinegar to take the edge off if it’s too much of you. 

2-The Bao bun is the classic vehicle to eat the pork, but a warmed up flour tortilla would probably taste pretty good too. If I had no bread, and was jonesing for braised pork belly, I would just wrap up pieces in a lettuce leaf, or eat it over steamed rice, or stir fried noodles. 

3-Normally, I dress up the Bao bun / Pork belly delight with some finely shaved cabbage, and whatever else strikes my fancy: thin slivers of red onion dressed with a few drops of vinegar, shaved white radish, etc.

4-You can dress it up with what you like, or what you have on hand, or with nothing but pork in bun and green scallions. It’s all good!


No doubt there are lots of variations in China. Do what you like.


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