Bao Buns With Red-Braised Pork Belly

Directions

1. First, make the bao buns. Add a teaspoon of sugar and yeast to the warm water, and leave it for 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. (It’ll start to bubble and smell a little funky.) Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, and the rest of the sugar together.
2. In a stand-mixer with a dough hook, add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients, and knead on medium speed for approximately 30 seconds until it comes together to form a rough dough. Then, add the shortening or oil and knead on low for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. At this point, the dough should no longer stick to the sides of the mixing bowl, but if it does, add one tablespoon flour at a time and mix for 30 seconds or so, until it no longer sticks. (You could also do this whole step with your hands and lots of elbow grease.)
3. Cover the mixing bowl containing the bao dough with a towel. Leave it to proof until it doubles in size. (This should take at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours depending, on the room temperature.) Meanwhile, prepare 10 square pieces of parchment paper, roughly 4-inches long on each side.
4. When the dough is proofed, punch it down and portion into 10 roughly equal pieces. (They should be around 50g apiece.) Knead the individual pieces of dough 2-3 times, just to squeeze out any extra air pockets.
5. Then, on a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape with rounded ends, roughly 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. Fold the dough in half lengthwise, and place on the parchment squares. Cover lightly with a towel, and let it proof for 30-45 minutes. It won’t quite double in size by the end of the proofing time, but should be slightly puffier than when you left it.
6. Ready a pot of boiling water (it should be at a steady boil; more than a simmer, less than a raging boil) with a steamer rack/basket. Transfer the baos onto the steamer setup, cover the pot with a lid, and steam the baos for 12 minutes. They should be all soft and pillowy when done. The baos can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Before eating, re-steam it for roughly 3 minutes to get it all soft and fluffy again.
7. Next, make the pork. Bring a pot of water to the boil (the same one you used for steaming, if you like, and add in the slices of pork belly. Cook the pork belly for 5 minutes, then take it out of the water. Discard the water.
8. Add the oil and brown sugar to a pan or skillet and heat on medium-high. When the sugar completely dissolves, add the pork belly slices and sear both sides until brown. This should take roughly 2-3 minutes on each side. (Be careful not to let it burn!) When the pork belly is nicely browned, add in the shaoxing wine and light soy sauce to deglaze the pan.
9. When done, transfer the pork belly and pan sauce into a pot or dutch oven, and add in the dark soy sauce, slices of ginger, garlic, scallion and star anise. Add water into the pot until the pork belly is half-submerged. Bring this to a boil, then turn it down to a slow simmer. Taste the braising liquid to test for seasoning; Add more light soy sauce or brown sugar until the sauce is to your liking.
10. Braise the pork belly on a super low simmer, covered, for 60-90 minutes. Stir it occasionally (every 15 minutes or so) to prevent any bits from sticking and burning on the bottom. When done, the pork belly should be spoon-tender and the fat near-gelatinous. Check the consistency of the sauce, it should be the consistency of a saucy glaze, or as thick as honey; Boil and reduce the sauce separately if it’s too runny.
11. To assemble the bao, pull the bao bun apart in the middle,and brush some of that pork belly sauce in between the buns. Wedge a slice of pork belly in it (or two, if you’re feeling particularly gluttonous). Finally, garnish with some chopped scallions, a few sprigs of cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, and you’re good to go.