Char Siu Braised Pork Bao with Pickled Onions
What can compare to melt-in-your-mouth braised pork belly glazed in a sweet and spicy chili sauce with pickled onions in a soft steamed bun?
Ingredients
- Brown sugar · 6 tablespoons
- Honey · 1 cup
- Hoisin Sauce · 1 cup
- Soy Sauce · 3/4 cup
- Herbie's Chinese 5 Spice · 4 teaspoons
- Red Food Dye (optional) · 6 teaspoons
- Pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 3 inch cubes · 3 pounds
- Red Onion, Peeled and thinly sliced vertically · 2
- Rice Wine Vinegar · 2 cups
- Honey · 1 cup
- Chinese Bao (Buns) · 16
- Daikon Sprouts for garnish ·
Instructions
For the Pork:
Whisk together first 6 ingredients and marinate pork overnight or at least 6 hours in the refrigerator in a zip lock bag.
Remove from bag and add the whole mixture to a dutch oven, a slow cooker, or a pressure cooker, depending on your preferred method of braising. If cooking in a dutch oven heat over medium low and cook for 3 hours until pork can be easily shredded with two forks. If mixture sticks to the pot during braising, add 1/2 a cup of water to the pot. If using a slow cooker, set on low for 8 hours. If using a pressure cooker put on the Meat/Stew setting (35 minutes). Shred pork in the sauce and keep warm for serving.
For the Pickled Onions:
In a saucepot whisk the vinegar and honey together over medium heat, when mixture reaches a simmer turn off the heat and add the onions. Let cool to room temperature and store in a container with a tight fitting lid for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
To assemble:
Steam the buns for 5 minutes either in a bamboo steamer, or in a regular steamer basket lined with parchment paper.
Add generous spoonful of the warm shredded pork and 3-4 slices of pickled onions and 5-6 daikon sprouts and serve warm.
