Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Bun)

Method

1. In a bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water, then add the flour, baking powder and oil and bring it together into a ball. Knead on the counter for 8 min until smooth and as soft as an earlobe. If it sticks to your hands, add flour only a pinch at a time.

   Add in this stepAll-purpose flour 100 gWarm water (35 °C) 55 mlInstant dry yeast ½ tspSugar (for the dough) 10 gBaking powder ¼ tspNeutral oil (for dough and brushing) ¾ tsp

2. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave it somewhere warm for 1 h, until doubled. It is ready when a floured fingertip pressed in leaves a dent that fills back slowly. Cook the pork (steps 3 and 4) while you wait.

3. Cut the pork belly into slices about 1 cm thick and 8 cm long. Halve the shallot, crush the garlic with the flat of a knife and thinly slice the ginger. Heat the oil in a 18 cm pot on medium-high heat, lay in the pork and fry for 5 min until golden on both sides, then add the shallot, garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

   Add in this stepSkin-on pork belly 300 gNeutral oil (for frying) 0.6 tbspShallot (or ¼ small onion) 1Garlic cloves 3Fresh ginger 8 g

   medium-high heat

4. Pour the rice wine around the edge of the pot, then add the soy sauce, rock sugar, star anise and water. Bring to the boil on high heat, skim off the foam, turn down to low heat, cover and braise for 55 min. It is done when a chopstick slides through the skin with no resistance. Take the lid off for the last 10 minutes so the liquid reduces to a glossy, shallow sauce; add a splash of water if it gets too low.

   Add in this stepShaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry) 2 tbspSoy sauce 2½ tbspRock sugar (or brown sugar) 18 gStar anise 1Water (for braising) 350 ml

   high heat→low heat

5. Rinse the mustard greens twice to take out some of the salt, squeeze them dry and chop finely. Heat the remaining oil in a pan on medium heat, add the greens and sugar and stir-fry for 3 min until dry and fragrant, then set aside. Pound or pulse the peanuts with the sugar to a coarse sand. Pulse in short bursts or you will end up with peanut butter.

   Add in this stepPickled mustard greens (suan cai) 80 gNeutral oil (for frying) 0.4 tbspSugar (for the greens) 1½ tspRoasted unsalted peanuts 30 gSugar (for the peanut powder) 2 tsp

   medium heat

6. Punch the risen dough down and divide it into ≈4 × 43 g balls. Roll each into an oval about 12 × 8 cm and 4 mm thick, brush one side lightly with oil and fold in half with the oiled side inside; the oil stops the halves sticking during steaming. Set each bun on a 10 cm square of baking paper, cover with a damp cloth and let them rise again for 15 min.

   Add in this stepNeutral oil (for dough and brushing) ¼ tsp

7. Bring the water in your steamer to a rolling boil, set the buns 2 cm apart in a 24 cm · 1× steamer and steam on medium-high heat for 10 min. Turn off the heat and wait 3 minutes before lifting the lid; opening straight away makes the buns wrinkle. Wrapping the lid in a cloth stops drips falling on them.

   medium-high heat

8. Lift the pork out of the sauce, allowing 2 or 3 slices per bun. Open each warm bun and fill it with mustard greens, pork, a teaspoon of braising sauce, a good spoonful of peanut powder and cilantro. Serve right away.

   Add in this stepCilantro 10 g