Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR BUNS
60 ml Luke warm water
180 ml Warm milk
10 g Instant yeast
750 ml Cake flour
30 ml Sugar
10 ml Salt
2.5 ml Baking powder
1 kg Pork belly
2 Onions, roughly chopped
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
3 Celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 Star Anise
2 Bay leaves
3 Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks
15 ml Salt
15 ml Black pepper
300 ml Soya sauce
4 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 cm Ginger, grated
60 ml Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
20 g Red chillies
45 ml Sugar
INGREDIENTS TO SERVE
2 Carrots, shaved
125 ml White rice vinegar
45 ml Salt flakes
4 Cucumbers, cut into thin batons
3 Spring onions, finely diced
250 ml Coriander, roughly chopped
Instructions
METHOD FOR THE BAO BUNS
Mix the water, milk and yeast together and let it stand for 5 minutes to spunge. Mix together the cake flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Slowly add the yeast mixture, while combining the flour to make a dough. Knead it for 10 minutes or until it feels elastic and smooth. Place it a clean bowl, rubbed with a bit of oil, cover and let it rise until double in size. Once the dough has proofed. Roll it into a square, thick enough to form a boa bun. Cut out the dough with a round cookie cutter, fold into a half moon shape and steam in a bamboo steamer for 10 minutes or until the buns are done. It will feel light, when it’s done. Remove and set aside on a cooling rack for service.
METHOD FOR THE PORK FILLING
Place the pork belly, onions, carrots, celery, star anise, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, salt and pepper into a pressure cooker. Let it cook for 40 minutes or until the pork is soft enough to be pulled apart. Pull the pork apart into thin shreds. Add the pork to a hot pan, add the soya sauce, garlic, ginger, coriander, chillies and sugar. Cook until the soya sauce has reduced and the pork is becoming nice and sticky.
TO SERVE
Place the carrots, white rice vinegar and salt flakes in a glass bowl and let it stand before service for a quick pickles.
Place the pork in the buns, then top with pickled carrots, cucumber, peanuts and finish off with the coriander. Place on a plate and drizzle with some micro herbs.