Editing Veggie gua bao

== Overview ==

* [[#Steamed buns|Steamed buns]]
* [[#Seasoned veggie pork belly|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 ==

== Seasoned veggie pork belly ==

* Take veggie pork belly and split into either 4 or 6 pieces. Sear until lightly browned on both sides. Set aside.
* Sauce making:
** 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 space, 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, 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

== Notes ==

Inspiration and adaptation:

* [https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/taiwanese-pork-belly-bun-recipe.html Gua Bao recipe on Serious Eats]
* [https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/gua-bao/ Kitchen Sanctuary recipe for everything]
* [https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steamed-bao-buns BBC recipe for steamed bao]
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Gua bao-20191110.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The finished product!]]
+== Overview ==
-The following things will go into and/or constitute the sandwich:
 * [[#Steamed buns|Steamed buns]]
@@ Line 10: / Line 8: @@
 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.
-We typically buy pickled mustard greens which are more or less like a relish. In a pinch, you can do a "quick pickle" by boiling mustard greens (or chard, or bok choy) w/ 2:1 water:vinegar plus some sugar.
 == 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: [https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steamed-bao-buns BBC recipe]
-* [https://eatlittlebird.com/steamed-bao-buns/#tasty-recipes-29616 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 ==
-[[File:Pepper pork belly-20191109.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Pictured is the version of veggie pork belly with pepper. We now always use the non-peppered version.]]
+* Take veggie pork belly and split into either 4 or 6 pieces. Sear until lightly browned on both sides. Set aside.
+* Sauce making:
-Start with veggie pork belly which we always buy. We usually buy veggie pork belly made by Verisoy in Taiwan as pictured. In Seattle we buy these at the [http://www.vietwah.com/ Viet-Wah supermarket] near 12th and Jackson. There are versions with black pepper and without. We prefer the version ''without'' black pepper. It keeps indefinitely frozen so stock up!
+** Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant;
+** add star anise and chili;
-The recipe that you need to follow is essentially the same the [[braised pork belly]] technique hong shao' / red-braised chinese cooking technique. There's a different recipe on this page but [[User:Willscott]] prefers the recipe on the [[braised pork belly]] page. Scallions, as used there, are a good aromatic addition.
-* Take veggie pork belly and split into either 4 or 6 pieces. Sear until lightly browned on both sides. Remember that veggie pork belly 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:
-** Make sure there's at least 1/4 cup oil in the pot / skillet.
-** Add garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant;
-** add star anise and chili;
 ** add sugar and wait until it is melted and bubbling
-** Return the pork belly
+** add rice wine and bring to boil stirring until sugar disolves
-** add rice wine to deglaze caramel onto the pork. the liquid will evaporate off quickly, and caramel will harden on the pork from the shock.
+** add five space, dark and light soy sauce, and water. bring to boil
-** add five spice, dark and light soy sauce, and water. bring to boil
+* Return the pork belly and simmer on low for 1-2h
-* simmer on low for 1-2h
-For 1lb of pork belly (i.e., 2 packs of Verisoy), a good set of ratios to start with might be:
+For 1lb of pork belly, a good set of ratios to start with might be:
 ** 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
@@ Line 51: / Line 34: @@
 ** 1/4 cup light soy sauce
 ** 4 cups water
-** Salt and MSG to taste
 == Notes ==
@@ Line 60: / Line 42: @@
 * [https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/gua-bao/ Kitchen Sanctuary recipe for everything]
 * [https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/steamed-bao-buns BBC recipe for steamed bao]
-* [[https://eatlittlebird.com/steamed-bao-buns/ Eat Little Bird]]