Xi'an Roujiamo, Braised Pork Belly in Crisp Baijimo Buns

What you need

• 800 g (1 3/4 lb) skin-on pork belly, cut into large chunks
• 2.5 cm (1 in) fresh ginger, sliced, divided
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 star anise
• 1 piece cinnamon bark, small, or cassia
• 4 cloves, whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• 1 dried red chili
• 1 piece dried tangerine peel
• 100 g (1/2 cup) rock sugar
• 2 scallions, cut into lengths
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp salt, plus a pinch for the dough
• 200 g (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp instant yeast
• 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) lukewarm water, plus more for the braise
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• fresh cilantro, chopped, optional, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the pork belly in a pot of cold water with a few slices of the ginger, the Sichuan pepper and the Shaoxing wine. Bring to a boil, cook 2-3 min, then drain and rinse.

2. 2

   Soak the star anise, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, fennel seeds, white peppercorns, chili and tangerine peel in hot water for 5 min, then tie them in a muslin bag.

3. 3

   Brown the pork in a dry wok over medium heat until lightly seared on all sides, then lift it out and pour off the rendered fat.

4. 4

   Put the pork in a heavy pot with the spice bag, the rest of the ginger, rock sugar, scallions, garlic, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and salt. Add water to just cover.

5. 5

   Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, for about 1 hour, until a chopstick slides through the meat and the fat is soft and wobbly.

6. 6

   Turn off the heat and leave the pork in its liquid while you make the buns.

7. 7

   For the buns, stir the yeast into the water and leave 5 min. Mix the flour, a pinch of salt and the oil in a bowl, pour in the yeast water and knead to a smooth, fairly firm dough.

8. 8

   Cover and rest 15-30 min, until the dough has grown by about a third. It should be only half risen.

9. 9

   Knead out the air and divide into 5 pieces. Roll each into a long strip, roll the strip up into a coil, stand it on its end and press it flat, then roll it into a disc about 1.5 cm (1/2 in) thick.

10. 10

    Heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F).

11. 11

    Cook the discs in a dry heavy pan over low heat until pale golden on both sides, a few minutes per side.

12. 12

    Move the buns to a baking tray and bake 8-10 min, until the crust is crisp and the inside is cooked through.

13. 13

    Lift the pork out of the liquid, which you can reheat if the meat has cooled, and chop it finely on a board, fat and all, with a spoonful of the braising liquid and the cilantro if using.

14. 14

    Split each warm bun from the side, leaving a hinge, stuff it generously with the pork and serve at once.

Imported from chinasichuanfood.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.