Japanese · Dinner
Braised Pork Belly Steamed Buns
Pork Kakuni Bao
A showstopper Japanese-inspired family feast, meltingly tender soy-braised pork belly served in steamed bao buns with pickled cucumber, spring onion, and kewpie mayo.
$
30 minsPrep
2 hrs 30 minsCook
3 hrsTotal
HardLevel
Nutrition per serving
645Calories
38gProtein
32gFat
52gCarbs
12gSugar
2gFiber
780mgSodium
105mgChol
Goes well with
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Instructions
1
Prep
Cut pork belly into a whole piece. Slice cucumber thinly; mix with rice vinegar, 0.5 tsp sugar, and salt, set aside 10 minutes. Cut scallions into 5cm lengths and finely slice separately. Slice ginger. Combine flour, yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and baking powder in a bowl.
2
Blanch
Place pork belly in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, pat dry thoroughly.
3
Sear
Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat. Sear pork skin-side down 3–4 minutes until golden. Sear remaining sides 1–2 minutes each. Transfer to a heavy pot.
4
Braise
Add dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, rock sugar, scallion lengths, and ginger to the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover with a drop lid, braise over low heat 1.5 hours turning every 30 minutes, until pork is very tender and glaze thickens. Rest 20 minutes in liquid, then slice into 2cm pieces.
5
Build
Mix warm water and 0.5 tbsp oil into flour mixture, knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover, prove 1 hour until doubled. Divide into 8 pieces, roll each into a 10cm oval, brush with oil, fold over a chopstick, slide out. Prove 20 minutes.
6
Steam
Steam bao over high heat 8–10 minutes until puffed and cooked through. While bao cooks, warm pork gently over low heat.
7
Plate
Arrange warm bao on a serving board. Fill each with pork belly slices, pickled cucumber, finely sliced scallion, kewpie mayo, and a drizzle of hoisin sauce. Serve immediately.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.
Serves
2 portions ·
2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10
Ingredients
- 500g (17.6 oz) pork belly
- 50ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) soy sauce
- 40ml (2.7 tbsp) mirin
- 50ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) sake
- 20g (0.7 oz) rock sugar
- 200ml (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) dashi stock
- 2 scallions
- 10g (0.35 oz) fresh ginger
- 150g (5.3 oz) plain flour
- 2.5g instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 80ml (1/3 cup) warm water
- 0.5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 large cucumber
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 0.25 tsp salt
- 30ml (2 tbsp) kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce