Pork Belly Bao: Ultimate Guide
A classic Asian street food, featuring succulent slow-cooked pork belly, sweet hoisin glaze, and refreshing pickled carrots and cucumbers, all tucked inside soft, steamed bao buns. This dish offers a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors with delightful textures.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork belly skin on or off
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger sliced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tbsp rock sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 2 star anise whole
- 3 cups water or chicken broth
- 12 pieces steamed bao buns store-bought or homemade
- 0.5 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 large carrot julienned
- 1 small cucumber julienned
- 0.5 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts optional
Instructions
- Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels. Cut it into 2-inch thick slices.
- Heat vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork belly on all sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove pork and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and sliced ginger to the pot and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Return the pork belly to the pot. Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, five-spice powder, and star anise. Pour in enough water or chicken broth to almost cover the pork belly.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until the pork belly is fork-tender. Skim off any excess fat from the surface during cooking if desired. Remove the pork belly from the liquid and let it cool slightly, then slice it into ¼-inch thick pieces.
- While the pork belly cooks, prepare the pickled vegetables. In a bowl, combine julienned carrot and cucumber. In a separate small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour the pickling liquid over the vegetables and let them sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Steam the bao buns according to package instructions, usually for 5-7 minutes over simmering water.
- To assemble, open a steamed bao bun and spread a teaspoon of hoisin sauce inside. Place a few slices of the braised pork belly into the bun. Top with a spoonful of pickled carrots and cucumbers. Garnish with fresh cilantro and crushed peanuts, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
For the best flavor, allow the cooked pork belly to rest in its braising liquid for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight in the refrigerator (reheat gently before serving). If you don't have fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger can be substituted. Feel free to adjust the sweetness of the hoisin glaze to your preference. For an extra kick, add a pinch of chili flakes to your pickled vegetables.