Pork Belly Bao Buns

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 20 Mrs Tran’s Kitchen Sandwich Buns (Baos)
• 1½ Cucumber
• 8 sprigs of spring onion
• ½ cup Mrs Tran’s Kitchen Hoisin Sauce
• 1 pork belly, skin on (800 – 1.2kg)
• 1 ½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 200g rock salt

Method

1. Use a small knife or metal skewer to prick lots of holes in the skin. Avoid piercing into the flesh.
2. Turn the pork belly upside down. Rub the flesh with Chinese cooking wine, sprinkle over five spice powder, salt and pepper flesh side only.
3. Turn skin side up and place in a container. Dab skin dry with paper towels. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours to dry the skin out.
4. To cook the pork belly, preheat oven to 180°
5. Remove pork from fridge. Place onto a large sheet of foil. Fold sides of foil up around the pork to enclose it snugly, with a 1.5cm rim above the pork skin to act as a container for the rock salt.
6. Transfer pork to baking tray. Dab skin with paper towels, and brush skin with vinegar.
7. Spread rock salt on the skin, and roast for 60 minutes.
8. Remove pork from oven.
9. Switch to grill/broiler on medium high. Move shelf so it is at least 25cm from the heat source. If you do not have a broiler, turn the oven temperature to 220°
10. Discard foil and scrape all the salt off the top and sides. Return pork only to baking tray.
11. Place under grill/broiler for 20-25 minutes, rotating tray once, until skin is golden, crispy and puffed.
12. Once puffed, let it cool for 15 minutes to handle. Slice the pork belly in half, and cut 0.5cm thickness to place in bun.
13. Slice cucumbers into thin coins. Set aside.
14. Slice spring onions in half, only using the white parts of the spring onion to slice lengthwise, forming thin ribbons.
15. Steam Mrs Tran’s Kitchen’s frozen buns for 10 minutes, until soft and pillowy. Cover with wet cloth to prevent the bun drying out.
16. Opening the bun, brush Mrs Tran’s Kitchen’s hoisin sauce on both the top and bottom on the inside of the bun
17. Stuff bun with 2 slices of cucumber, 1 slice of crispy pork belly, a small handful of spring onion ribbons, and enjoy!