Food Network Kitchen’s Pork Belly Bao for NEW FNK, as seen on Food Network.
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Pork Belly Bao

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 4 hr 40 min (includes marinating time)
  • Active: 40 min
  • Yield: 15 buns
This take on gua bao, Taiwanese pork belly buns, features jalapeño, scallions and cilantro instead of the more traditional peanuts and pickled mustard greens. While braising pork belly is a low and slow process, it’s basically hands off. Frozen bao buns are ready in minutes and make a soft and fluffy vessel for tender juicy pork belly.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Mix together the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin, garlic, ginger and a generous amount of pepper in a medium bowl. Cut the pork belly in half and place in an 8-inch square baking dish with the fatty side up. Pour the marinade over top of the pork belly, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. 
  3. Bake, covered, until the pork is tender and easy to shred with a fork, about 2 hours. Remove to a cutting board and set aside. Pour the cooking liquid into a medium skillet, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. 
  4. Meanwhile, steam the bao buns according to the package directions. 
  5. Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the scallions and jalapeño and cook until just starting to turn tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small plate. 
  6. Slice the pork belly into 15 pieces. Once the cooking liquid has been reduced, turn the heat off, place the pork belly into the skillet and flip once just to coat with the sauce. 
  7. Place a piece of pork belly in each bun, sprinkle with the scallion-jalapeño mixture and garnish with a few cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.