Gua Bao

Takes 390 minutes | Serves 10 |

Ingredients

450 g plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
0.5 tsp salt
7 g instant dried yeast
3 tbsp whole milk
210 ml warm water
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1000 g pork belly slices, rindless
1000 ml hot chicken/veg stock
2 tbsp minced ginger
3 cloves garlic cloves
1 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pcs red chilli
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp lemon grass paste
1 bunch coriander (cilantro)
4 pcs spring onions (scallions)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp toasted cashew nuts

Steps

Steamed Buns

• Mix flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Combine milk, water, and butter in a jug until butter melts, then mix into the flour. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and prove for 1.5-2 hours.
• Knead dough again, divide into 10 balls, roll each into an oval, brush with olive oil, fold over with space in the fold, and prove for another hour.
• Steam buns on parchment in batches for 15 minutes.

Sticky Pork Belly

• Combine pork belly, stock, minced ginger, garlic, rice wine, and sugar in a pan, boil, simmer covered for 2 hours, then drain.
• Chop pork into chunks, fry in oil with salt and pepper until golden. Add glaze made from ginger, chilli, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and lemon grass paste, cook until dark and sticky.

Assembly

• Open steamed buns, stuff with sticky pork, add coriander, chilli slices, spring onion strips, sesame seeds, and chopped cashews.