Pork Belly Bao Buns with Hoison Sauce and Kewpie Mayo

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Recipe's preparation

Pork Belly

Place pork belly on a wire rack, skin side up over a sink
Blanch skin by pouring boiling water over entire pork belly

Transfer Pork belly to chopping board and score skin with sharp knife

Pour oil and sea salt flakes directly onto skin and massage into pork belly skin generously, ensuring you get into the scoured areas

Place into air fryer and cook for approximatley 35 minutes, 200 degrees or until skin is bubbling and crispy

Steamed Bao Buns

Place flour, yeast, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and salt in mixing bowl then blend 30 sec/speed 10. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula.

Add milk and 125 g water then knead 1 min 30 sec Meanwhile, grease a large bowl with oil. Tip out dough, shape into a ball, then place in prepared bowl. Cover with cling film then leave to prove in a warm place until doubled in size (approx. 40 minutes).

Tip risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 balls, approx. 30 g each. Place on 2 greased baking trays with enough space between to double in size. Cover lightly with oiled cling film and leave until doubled in size (approx. 20-30 minutes). Meanwhile, cut baking paper into 12 squares (approx. 8 cm).

Roll each ball of dough into an oval 10 cm long. Place a square of baking paper onto each oval and fold buns over to create semi-circles. Arrange folded buns on a chopstick (approximatley 3 buns per chopstick) and then place buns back on trays, lightly cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove for another 10-15 minutes until risen.

Place 1500 g water in mixing bowl and bring to the boil 12 min/Varoma/speed 1. Meanwhile, grease Varoma dish and tray and use this time to prepare bao bun fillings (examples- coriander, cucumber, carrot)

Place buns in prepared Varoma dish and Varoma tray, leaving space for them to puff up. Place covered Varoma into position then steam 10 min/Varoma/speed 1. Keep buns warm after steaming in thermoserver.

Kewpie Mayo

Place jug onto mixing bowl lid and weigh out grapeseed oil

Place egg yolks, vinegars, salt and wasabi paste into mixing bowl and whisk 2 min 30 sec/speed 4

slowly pouring reserved oil onto mixing bowl lid and letting it trickle into mixing bowl to emulsify. Transfer to serving bowl

Hoison Sauce

Place garlic in mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 5.

Add remaining hoisin sauce ingredients and mix 10 sec/speed 6. Transfer to a bowl and place in fridge until needed.

Assembly

Remove pork belly from air fryer, remove skin and chop into 2cm pieces, transfer to serving plate.

Cut remaining pork meat into strips and transfer to serving plate

Fill bao buns with pork meat, crispy skin, kewpie may & fillings. Drizzle with hoison sauce