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| Photo Credit to Alan Goh |
刈包 Gua Bao – Taiwanese Braised Pork Buns Recipe (10-12 servings)
Meat Ingredients
1 kg of good pork belly
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tbsp five spice powder
2 tsp ground pepper
2-4 tbsp of good dark soya sauce (depending on the saltiness and colour intensity of the soya sauce used)
50g rock sugar
salt to taste
water as required
1 kg of good pork belly
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tbsp five spice powder
2 tsp ground pepper
2-4 tbsp of good dark soya sauce (depending on the saltiness and colour intensity of the soya sauce used)
50g rock sugar
salt to taste
water as required
Condiments and Garnishing
100g storebought roasted cocktail peanuts (salted)
1 tbsp fine grained sugar
200g pickled greens (酸菜) 【NOTE： do not use salted vege (咸菜)]
A few sprigs of coriander leaves (芫荽叶)
1-2 heads of chinese lettuce (生菜）
100g storebought roasted cocktail peanuts (salted)
1 tbsp fine grained sugar
200g pickled greens (酸菜) 【NOTE： do not use salted vege (咸菜)]
A few sprigs of coriander leaves (芫荽叶)
1-2 heads of chinese lettuce (生菜）
For homemade white steamed sandwich bun recipe, please refer here.
Method
To pot or wok of boiling water, add whole slab of pork belly. Return to boil before lowering flame to medium low and cook for 15-20 min.
Rinse the pork belly slab briefly under running water to remove and impurities or scum. Leave to cool down. Discard pork belly cooking water.
When it has cooled down sufficiently to be handled, Cut the pork belly slab into large pieces.
In a deep pot, add pork belly slices and sufficient water to cover the pork belly by about 1 inch or so. Let the water come to a boil. Skim off any scum one the surface of the water before add all the other meat braising ingredients.
Let the mixture come to a boil once more before lowering flame, cover with lid and let it simmer for 30 min.
After 30 min, taste the sauce and adjust with more soya sauce, five-spice powder, pepper, sugar or salt as required. The aroma of five-spice powder should be assertive.
Test the texture of the meat slices and continue to boil for another 20-30 min under very low heat until the meat pieces are thoroughly soft and wobbly. Actual cooking time depends on the thickness of the slabs and texture desired which is a largely personal preference.
To prepared grated peanuts, pound peanuts with sugar until they are coarsely grated. Pulse the peanuts with the sugar if a food blender is used. Do not grind the peanut completely to powdered form to prevent loss of texture and crunch.
Serve by sandwiching the braised pork belly slabs between steamed chinese white buns and chinese lettuce. Garnish with grated peanut, pickled vegetables and coriander leaves.
Rinse the pork belly slab briefly under running water to remove and impurities or scum. Leave to cool down. Discard pork belly cooking water.
When it has cooled down sufficiently to be handled, Cut the pork belly slab into large pieces.
In a deep pot, add pork belly slices and sufficient water to cover the pork belly by about 1 inch or so. Let the water come to a boil. Skim off any scum one the surface of the water before add all the other meat braising ingredients.
Let the mixture come to a boil once more before lowering flame, cover with lid and let it simmer for 30 min.
After 30 min, taste the sauce and adjust with more soya sauce, five-spice powder, pepper, sugar or salt as required. The aroma of five-spice powder should be assertive.
Test the texture of the meat slices and continue to boil for another 20-30 min under very low heat until the meat pieces are thoroughly soft and wobbly. Actual cooking time depends on the thickness of the slabs and texture desired which is a largely personal preference.
To prepared grated peanuts, pound peanuts with sugar until they are coarsely grated. Pulse the peanuts with the sugar if a food blender is used. Do not grind the peanut completely to powdered form to prevent loss of texture and crunch.
Serve by sandwiching the braised pork belly slabs between steamed chinese white buns and chinese lettuce. Garnish with grated peanut, pickled vegetables and coriander leaves.
