About the Recipe
Fluffy Bao bun stuffed with sticky Vietnamese pork belly.
Ingredients
8 Pre-Made Bao Buns
1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
800g Pork Belly - cut into thick slices
4 tbsp Brown Sugar or Coconut Palm Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Star Anise
Ginger - thumb sized piece
75ml Shaoxing Rice Wine
75ml Nem Viet Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice Powder.
2-3 Spring Onions
Fresh Coriander
Fresh Sliced Red Chillies
Preparation
Step 1
Pre-heat your oven to 140°C. In an oven proof pan, add the oil on a medium-high heat. Add the sliced pork and brown the pork belly well and then transfer to a plate. You can do this in batches.
Step 2
In the pan add the sugar and heat until it starts to dissolve and caramelise. Then add the garlic, ginger and star anise, and cook for 1 minute.
Step 3
Add the Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce and Vietnamese dipping sauce to the pan, It may spatter as the pan is still hot.
Step 4
When the sugar has fully dissolved, add the pork belly and coat with the sauce. Add about 100ml of water and the Chinese five spice. Bring to a simmer.
Step 5
Add the lid and move to the oven and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Afterwards remove the lid and put back onto the stove, on a high heat, to reduce the sauce, so it is sticky and coats the pork belly well.
Step 6
Steam the Bao buns as described on their packaging and fill with slices of pork belly, with some fresh coriander, spring onions and red chillies. Serve with Vietnamese Dipping sauce.
Tips: it is also popular to add thinly sliced fresh vegetables like carrots, onions and cucumber or sliced pickled vegetables.