Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork In A Bun)

If you're familiar with Chinese food, then you'll recognize Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork Belly). There are so many ways to eat it; You can eat it with rice, ramen, in a bun, on a piece of bread, or simply munch it as it is.. Whichever way you pick, you can never get enough of this famous pork dish! 

Today I'd like to share with you how to make Char Siu Bao (you serve it in buns). You can fix this the easy way, which means you get the Char Siu Sauce (Lee Kum Kee is the best in my humble opinion) and ready-to-eat steamed buns that are available at most Asian grocery stores; Or the not-so-easy way, which means you will need quite a bit of time to make this from scratch. What I'm gonna show you is the one that I made literally from scratch... Now we're talking, let's do this, folks!

Ingredients:

- 1 lb Skinless pork belly, cut into 2 long strips

- 2 tbsp Finely chopped garlic

- Scallions, thinly sliced

For Char Siu Sauce:

- 2 pcs Chinese fermented red bean curd 

- 1 tbsp Maltose (can be substituted to honey)

- 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine

- 1 tbsp Soy sauce

- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce

- 1 tsp dark & thick soy sauce

- 1 tsp five-spice powder 

- 1/4 tsp white pepper powder

- 3 1/2 oz (100gr or 8 1/2 tbsp) sugar

For the buns:

- 1 envelope (1 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast

- 3/4 cup warm water, plus more as needed

- 2 tbsp plus a pinch sugar, divided

- 2 tbp neutral flavored oil such as grapeseed, sunflower seed, or safflower, plus more for oiling the bowl

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour

Directions to make the pork:

1. Get a big bowl, mix all the Char Siu Sauce ingredients, add the garlic and pork belly and marinate overnight in the fridge.

2. The next day, heat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3. Place the pork belly on a wire rack and bake for 15 minutes.

4. Removed from oven and turn the pork belly over, brush the remaining Char Siu sauce over and place the pork belly back in the oven for another 15 minutes or until cooked. The Char Siu will look dark in color, it’s normal.

5. Slice the Char Siu into thin and bite-size pieces.

Directions to make the buns:

1. In a glass measuring cup with a spout, combine the ¾ cup warm water, yeast, and pinch of sugar. Stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is frothy. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil,

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, Cuisinart, or a large bowl and mix to combine. With the mixer running (or while stirring by hand) add the yeast mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing until the dough comes together in a ragged ball. The dough should hold together and be a bit sticky to the touch. If needed, add an additional 1 to 4 teaspoons of warm water while mixing. Turn the dough out onto a board and knead by hand 3 or 4 times to form a nice, smooth ball.

3. Oil a large bowl and place the dough in it, turning once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the dough. Set in a warm place, such as on your kitchen countertop, and let rise for 1 hour, during which time it should at least double in size.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and split it into to 2 roughly equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a log and, using a knife, cut each log into 8 roughly equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then, using a rolling pin, roll each into an oval about 3 inches wide by 4 ½ inches long and ¼-inch thick. Fold each oval in half to make a semi-circle. Set each bun on a small square of parchment paper.

5. To cook the buns, place them in a steamer basket (Don’t crowd the basket as the buns will puff up as they cook and will stick together if they are too close. You may need to cook them in several batches. If you have stacking bamboo baskets, you can stack 3 baskets at a time.) Set the steamer over boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes.

6. Serve the buns with the meat and sliced scallions to garnish.