Pork bao

Bao are Chinese steamed buns. Once you've mastered do-it-yourself bao, you can fill them with a variety of savoury combinations. This recipe teams crisp pork belly with cucumber and chilli salsa dressed in Kewpie mayonnaise.

Pork bao Credit: Richo's Bar Snacks

• makes

  5

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 5 bao (steamed buns) (see Note)
• 300 g cooked pork belly, sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• ¼ cup fried shallots

Salsa

• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 tbsp pickled daikon, diced
• 1 tbsp daikon, diced
• 1 tbsp red chilli, seeded, diced
• 1 tsp roughly chopped coriander
• 1 tsp pickled ginger vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp pickled ginger
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp kewpie mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
2. Place bao in a bamboo steamer. Set over the boiling water (see note). Cook, in batches, for 8–10 minutes, or until puffed.
3. In a small bowl, gently combine cucumber, daikon, chilli, coriander, ginger vinegar, pickled ginger, hoisin sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise and Sriracha.
4. Remove bao from steamer and place a few slices of pork and spring onion inside each. Top with salsa. Close bun and sprinkle over some deep-fried shallot.

Notes

• Here’s a recipe for homemade bao dough.

• When using a bamboo steamer be sure the boiling water does not touch the buns during the steaming process.

This recipe is from Richo's Bar Snacks on SBS Food (Channel 33). Stream episodes via SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.