Gua Bao (pork belly buns, 刈包)

Name: Gua Bao (pork belly buns, 刈包)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Ingredients: 300 g all-purpose/plain flour (see note 1); 1 tsp instant dry yeast; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp sugar; 155 ml lukewarm water (see note 2); 500 g pork belly; 1 tbsp cooking oil; 1 thumbsized ginger; 2 star anise; 2 small pieces cassia cinnamon/Chinese cinnamon; 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 1 bay leaf; 6 dried chillies; 1 small piece rock sugar (or 1 tsp regular sugar); 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; coriander (or other herbs of your choice); kimchi (or other fermented vegetables, see note 3); roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed (see note 4 & 5); fresh chilli, finely chopped (optional)

16 steps

Prep:20minCook:1h 10min

Tender pork belly sandwiched in a fluffy bun, topped with fermented vegetable & peanuts, Gua Bao delivers a great combination of flavour & texture.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 14:03:05 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories521.3 kcal (26%)

Total Fat37.2 g (53%)

Carbs34.5 g (13%)

Sugars2.3 g (3%)

Protein11.4 g (23%)

Sodium300.1 mg (15%)

Fiber2.7 g (10%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Cook the pork

Step 1

Cut the pork belly into 8 rectangle pieces.

Step 2

Heat oil in a frying pan over high heat. Fry the pork belly until both sides turn golden.

Step 3

Add ginger, spices, sugar, dark & light soy sauce. Pour in boiling water (just enough to cover the meat).

Step 4

Turn the heat down low. Leave to simmer for about 1 hour until the meat becomes very tender.

Prepare the dough

Step 5

IF KNEADING BY HAND: Mix flour, yeast, baking powder and sugar. Add water gradually. Mix with chopsticks/spatula until no more loose flour can be seen. Combine and knead briefly into a dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes (covered). Knead again until very smooth.

Step 6

IF KNEADING WITH A STAND MIXER: Mix flour, yeast, baking powder and sugar in the bowl. Knead on low speed until a very smooth dough forms (about 8 minutes)

Shape the buns

Step 7

Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

Step 8

Press the ball with the palm of your hand. Flatten it with a rolling pin into an oval shape.

Step 9

Fold the dough lengthways and place a piece of parchment paper in between (please refer to the tutorial video on the website).

Rest the buns

Step 10

Place the buns in the steamer basket (line with steamer parchment paper or brush a thin layer of oil to avoid sticking). Make sure to leave ample space in between each one.

Step 11

Leave to rest for around 30 minutes. Well-rested buns should be slightly bigger but not double the size (see note 6).

Steam the buns

Step 12

Place the steaming basket onto a pot/wok filled with cold water. Start cooking over high heat.

Step 13

Turn down to medium-low once the water is at a full boil. Count 10 mins from this moment.

Assemble the dish

Step 14

Open up one bun. Place in coriander, then a piece of pork belly, top with kimchi, crushed peanuts and fresh chillies.

Store and reheat

Step 15

You may keep cooked buns in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Reheat in the steamer. It takes about 4 minutes for fridge-kept ones or 6 minutes for frozen ones (no need to defrost). It’s not recommended to freeze uncooked buns.

Step 16

You may also braise the pork belly in advance. Keep it along with the remaining liquid in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 2 months. Reheat in a pan until piping hot.

View on redhousespice.com

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