Pork Belly Bao Buns, with Assorted Pickles & Hoisin Cabbage Slaw

There was a Bao bun craze in the United States that started over ten years ago and continues to this day. There is a reason why they are so popular—they taste amazing.

This recipe for pork belly bao buns includes a mixture of succulent braised pork belly, spicy pickled onions, tangy sweet and sour pickles, and a crisp Hoisin cabbage slaw, all encased within a warm, pillowy bao bun. What’s there not to like?

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Pork Belly Bao Buns, with Assorted Pickles & Hoisin Cabbage Slaw

There was a Bao bun craze in the United States that started over ten years ago and continues to this day. There is a reason why they are so popular—they taste amazing.

This recipe for pork belly bao buns includes a mixture of succulent braised pork belly, spicy pickled onions, tangy sweet and sour pickles, and a crisp Hoisin cabbage slaw, all encased within a warm, pillowy bao bun. What’s there not to like?

Ingredients

For the Braised Pork Belly:

• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 24 oz (1.5 lbs) pork belly, (with a mixture of meat and fattier sections)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup soy sauce
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 5 cloves garlic, (finely minced)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, (finely minced)
• 2 cloves of star anise, ( left whole)
• 5 scallions, ( finely sliced)

For the Pickled Onions:

• 1 large red onion, (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 3 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp Kosher salt

For the Hoisin Cabbage Slaw:

• 2 cups shredded white or red cabbage
• 2 carrots, ( peeled and cut into thin julienne strips)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, ( to taste)

For the Remaining Components:

• ¼ cup sweet and sour pickles
• 24 Store-bought (or homemade!) bao buns
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, ( as garnish)
• 1 lime, ( cut into wedges, as garnish)

Instructions 

• To braise the pork belly, heat the vegetable oil in a large saute pan until it is nearly smoking.
• Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels, and quickly sear both sides of the pork belly until you have a nice golden-brown crust on the exterior of the pork belly.
• Remove the pork belly from the saute pan and allow it to rest on a plate.
• Deglaze the saute pan using a few tablespoons of water, and combine this deglazing liquid with the chicken stock.
• Cut the pork belly into 1.5” cubes.
• In a soup pot, combine the chicken stock, seared pork belly, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, star anise, and green onions.
• Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce the heat to low.
• Braise for about 3 or 4 hours, or until the pork belly is completely fork-tender.
• While the pork belly is braising, prepare the pickled onions.
• For the pickled onions, combine the rice vinegar, white granulated sugar, red pepper flakes, and Kosher salt in a bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the thinly sliced onions and let them pickle for at least an hour, stirring occasionally and making sure that the onions are submerged in the liquid.
• Set the pickled onions aside for later.
• For the cabbage slaw, combine the shredded cabbage and julienned carrots in a large bowl.
• In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, Kosher salt, and freshly-ground pepper.
• Pour this dressing mixture over the cabbage and carrots, tossing everything to combine.
• Once the pork belly is cooked and completely tender, let it cool down in the braising liquid.
• When the pork belly is cool enough to handle, pull the chunks of pork using your fingers and break it down into the consistency of pulled pork.
• To assemble the bao buns, steam the buns according to the package instructions until they are soft and warm.
• Open each bun and layer in the braised pork belly, pickled onions, sweet and sour pickles, and Hoisin cabbage slaw.
• Top each bun with fresh cilantro leaves and freshly-squeezed lime juice.
• Serve the Pork Belly Bao Buns while everything is still warm.

Notes

All of these components make for wonderful leftovers. The following day, just steam some more Bao buns and re-heat the braised pork and assemble as described above.

The make your own sweet and sour pickles, combine 1 cup of white granulated sugar with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar of choice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir to fully dissolve the sugar. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, and pour over sliced cucumbers to submerge. They will keep in the fridge for about a week or two.