Korean BBQ Pork Bao
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Proving Time: 1 hour 30 minutes—2 hours
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 14 buns
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Fluffy steamed bao (buns) filled with sticky pulled pork, crunchy vegetables and fresh herbs – the perfect balance of texture and flavour.
Ingredients
Pork
1.5 kg pork shoulder
2 Tbsp Cape Herb & Spice Korean Style BBQ Rub
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 C (250 ml) Korean Style BBQ Sauce
Bao
500 g bread flour
10 g instant yeast
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
10 g salt
¼ C (60 ml) sugar
1⅓ C (325 ml) milk
1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil
To Assemble
½ cucumber, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
90 g pickled red onion
½ baby purple cabbage, finely sliced
Small bunch fresh coriander
Sriracha mayo (optional)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) black and white sesame seeds, toasted
Spring onion (green part only), sliced
2 limes cut into wedges
For the Bao, You’ll Need
14 pieces baking paper, cut into 10 x 10 cm squares
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, for brushing the bao buns
A bamboo/electric steamer
Instructions
Pork
Season the pork shoulder with the Cape Herb & Spice Korean Style BBQ Rub. Set a pressure cooker to sauté mode and heat the oil. Brown the pork on all sides until golden.
Add enough water to cover the meat. Seal and cook on high pressure for 1 hour. Allow a natural pressure release for 10–15 minutes.
Remove the pork and shred with two forks. Discard the excess cooking liquid, then add the shredded meat to a pot and add the BBQ sauce. Stir to coat and keep warm.
Bao Dough (Part 1)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, baking powder, salt and sugar. Warm the milk until just lukewarm (±35 °C), then add the oil to the milk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a bowl, return the dough, cover and leave to prove for 1½–2 hours until doubled in size.
Bao Dough (Part 2)
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 14 equal portions (60 g each). Roll each portion into a ball and cover with a damp cloth.
Using a rolling pin, gently roll each ball into an oval, the same size as your baking paper squares. Brush lightly with oil and fold over in half, like a taco. Place each bun on a baking paper square. Keep covered with a damp cloth.
To Steam the Bao
Fill a pot that fits your bamboo steamer one-quarter full with water and bring to a simmer, or fill the cavity of an electric steamer.
Place 2–3 buns (with the baking paper) into the steamer, cover and steam for 12 minutes until puffed and cooked through. Repeat in batches until all the buns are cooked.
To Assemble
Fill each bun with BBQ pork, cucumber, carrot, pickled onion, cabbage and coriander. Drizzle with Sriracha mayo, if using, and garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
