Veggie gua bao
From WikiDotMako
Overview
- Steamed buns
- Seasoned veggie pork belly
- Cilantro
- Pickled mustard greens
- Peanuts and sugar mixed together in blender to a course grind [½ cup roasted, unsalted peanuts & 1TB rock, brown, or raw sugar]
Spread pickled mustard greens inside each steamed bun and set a piece of pork belly on top of mustard greens. Top pork belly with a pinch of the chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of the peanut powder. Serve immediately.
Steamed buns
There are a variety of recipes online but they all typically involve several periods of rising that will ultimately add up to 2-3 hours. Plan ahead!
- I've typically had very good luck with this recipe: BBC recipe
- This recipe looks great but is a little confusing because it calls for "cornflour (cornstarch)". Corn flour is the commonwealth term for corn starch.
Seasoned veggie pork belly
![](/upload/thumb/5/57/Pepper_pork_belly-20191109.jpg/300px-Pepper_pork_belly-20191109.jpg)
We buy veggie pork belly from Verisoy in Taiwan as pictured. In Seattle we buy these at the Viet-Wah supermarket near 12th and Jackson. There are versions with black pepper and without. We prefer the version without black pepper.
- Take veggie pork belly and split into either 4 or 6 pieces. Sear until lightly browned on both sides. Remember that veggie porkbelly has almost not fat so please use lots of oil, butter, or mayonnaise. Set aside.
- Make the sauce is the same pot you used to sear the pork belly (conserve the fat) by doing the following:
- Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant;
- add star anise and chili;
- add sugar and wait until it is melted and bubbling
- add rice wine and bring to boil stirring until sugar disolves
- add five spice, dark and light soy sauce, and water. bring to boil
- Return the pork belly and simmer on low for 1-2h
For 1lb of pork belly (2 packs of Verisoy), a good set of ratios to start with might be:
- 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 (1/8th-inch) slices fresh ginger (unpeeled)
- 1 star anise pod (optional)
- 1 small fresh red chili, such as Thai chili (optional)
- 2 tablespoons rock, brown or raw sugar
- 1/4 cup Asian rice wine
- 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder (see note)
- 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 4 cups water
- Salt and MSG to taste
Notes
Inspiration and adaptation: