Pork buns aren’t hard to make. Simply truss the meat, season it, and let it roast for four hours until it’s mouth-wateringly crispy. You can roast the pork on a rotisserie over a grill or in a roasting pan in the oven. The fat in the skin “confits” the pork into a succulent, delicious filling for these crowd-pleasing steamed buns.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 pounds uncured pork belly, skin on, deboned
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 package Chinese steamed bao buns, Found at Asian markets or online
- Hoisin sauce, for serving
- 2 Kirby cucumbers, sliced on a bias. May substitute Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 cup scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Rub both sides of the pork belly with the vegetable oil. Season with salt, pepper and Chinese five-spice powder.
- Roll the belly into a cylinder, skin side out, and truss tightly with butcher’s twine. Place on a spit and roast until tender, with a drip pan underneath to catch the rendered fat, 3½–4 hours. To crisp the skin, stop the spit from rotating so that the skin gets broiled and puffy (watch carefully, as this will happen quickly); then turn to crisp all sides. (Note: If you don’t have a spit, place the trussed pork belly on a rack set inside a roasting pan, with the seam side down, and add about a cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil and roast at 325 degrees F for 3½ hours. Turn the oven up to 500 F, remove the foil, and let the skin crisp up for the last 30 minutes.)
- Remove the belly from the spit, and allow it to rest outside the oven while you prepare the buns. Prepare a steam basket set over a wok partially filled with boiling water, or use a pasta insert elevated over a pot of water. Steam the buns to reheat, 5–10 minutes.
- To portion the pork belly, remove the butcher’s twine and slice with a serrated knife. Assemble the buns by layering hoisin sauce, sliced cucumber, scallion whites and a piece of the pork belly. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1411 |
| Total Fat | 130 g |
| Saturated Fat | 45 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Cholesterol | 163 mg |
| Sodium | 775 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 1411 |
| Total Fat | 130 g |
| Saturated Fat | 45 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Cholesterol | 163 mg |
| Sodium | 775 mg |
Reviews
Wish I had a spit to roast it on, but the oven version is great. Just make sure your oven is clean or you open a window when you crank it up to 500°! So delicious. How am I just now discovering Chinese 5 Spice?!
Delish
hmm