• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Homemade Italian Cooking

Recipes, secrets and tips on how to cook a great Italian meal at home

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes & Search
    • Appetizers
    • Bread & Pizza
    • Desserts
    • Meat & Fish
    • Pasta, Rice & Grains
    • Vegetables & Salads
    • A Cookbook
  • Videos
  • News & Events
    • Cooking Classes
    • Giveaways
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Press
    • Product Reviews
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • Ingredients
    • Kitchen Equipment
  • For Bloggers
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • YouTube
Home » Succulent and Crispy Pork Belly on Chinese Steamed Buns with Pickled Cucumbers and Hoisin Sauce

Succulent and Crispy Pork Belly on Chinese Steamed Buns with Pickled Cucumbers and Hoisin Sauce

January 1, 2021 by Cara Kretz 2 Comments

Share

Crispy Pork Belly with Chinese Steamed BunsPork Belly on Chinese Steamed Buns are, yes I really mean it this time, the best sandwiches! The succulent pork belly meat and crispy skin on a fluffy white steamed bun dressed with savory Hoisin sauce and crunchy, and pickled cucumbers all melt into one amazing bite. Add a drizzle of Sriracha and you will be in heaven. I will be making these again and again for special occasions. They are just that good.

An important ingredient for this dish is to make the Chinese Bao buns fresh.  The recipe I used made over 40 buns. I used 20 and froze the other half. They freeze well. The trick is to steam them a few minutes to refresh. Do not microwave them, they are just not the same. Another secret with this recipe is that both the pork belly and the buns can be made a day ahead of time, and easily reheated to serve fresh and warm. As always I used my favorite pork belly product from D’Artagnan. Click here to buy their amazing Berkshire pork online. 

You can see how easy this is to do at home. Watch the video to learn how. 

This is the last video of my Pork Belly Series, where I trim and cut a pork belly and create 4 wonderful and different recipes. Watch all the videos in that series:

How to Butcher a Pork Belly

Homemade Maple Espresso Bacon

All Pork Belly Porchetta Roast with Crispy Skin Stuffed with Garlic & Herbs

Spare Ribs with Peach Rum BBQ Sauce

Crispy Pork Belly with Chinese Steamed Buns
Print Pin

Succulent and Crispy Pork Belly on Chinese Steamed Buns with Pickled Cucumbers and Hoisin Sauce

Succulent pork belly meat and crispy skin on a fluffy white steamed bun dressed with savory Hoisin sauce and crunchy, pickled cucumbers all melt into one amazing bite. Add a drizzle of Sriracha and you will be in heaven. I will be making these again and again for special occasions. They are just that good. Once you get the hang of it the first time, you will see how easy this is to do at home. Recipe adapted from Chef David Chang Momofuku's Chinese Pork Buns.
Course Meat
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours
Servings 12 -16
Author Homemade Italian Cooking with Cara

Ingredients

  • 3-6 pounds pork belly with skin-on
  • ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 3 star anise
  • 1-2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 thick Kirby cucumbers cut into 1/8-inch-slices
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 cup hoisin sauce
  • ½ cup thinly sliced scallions green and white parts
  • Sriracha for serving
  • 12 steamed Bao buns see recipe at www.homemadeitaliancooking.com

Instructions

  • First brine the pork overnight. Mix ¼ cup sugar, peppercorns, star anise and ¼ cup salt in large ziplock bag or glass bowl. Add the pork belly, then cover with water and zip close. Chill overnight in the fridge.
  • Heat the oven to 400ºF. Discard the liquid from the bag and dry the pork belly thoroughly with paper towels. Rub 1 tablespoon baking powder over the skin. Score the skin in a diamond pattern and return to roasting pan. Place the pork belly skin side up on a wire rack in a baking pan. Place uncovered pan in the oven and cook for 1 hour, basting it with the rendered fat halfway through. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees and continue to bake another 2- 3 hours until the meat is tender and the meat registers at least 160 degrees. The fat should have mostly rendered out.
  • If the skin is not crispy enough at that point, remove the pan from the oven and pour off the fat. Turn the oven up to 450 degrees. Put the pork belly back in the oven and watch closely so it does not smoke or burn. The skin will blister and get crispy. Transfer the pork to a platter and allow to cool slightly.
  • When it’s cool enough to handle, wrap the pork in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put it in the fridge until it’s thoroughly chilled and firm. (You can skip this step if you’re pressed for time, but the only way to get neat, nice-looking slices is to chill the belly thoroughly before slicing it.)
  • Combine the cucumbers with the remaining sugar and salt, and rice vinegar in a small mixing bowl and toss to coat. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Use right away or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
  • When you're ready to make the buns, cut the pork belly into 1/2-inch-slices about 2 inches long. Warm them in a pan over medium heat for a minute or two, until soft and heated through. Use the pork right away.
  • Open a warm steamed bun and spread about 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce on the inside. Add 2 pieces of pork belly, then a couple slices of pickle. Add a scattering of scallion and a squirt of sriracha if you like. Repeat with the remaining buns, and eat!

Filed Under: A Cookbook, Meat & Fish, Recipe Index Tagged With: bao buns, berkshire, chinese, dartagnan, pork

Previous Post: « Feast of the Seven Fishes: A Sicilian Christmas Eve Dinner
Next Post: Boost Your Immunity with this Great Detox Soup »

Reader Interactions

You might also like

Trackbacks

  1. How to Butcher a Pork Belly – Homemade Italian Cooking says:
    June 19, 2017 at 8:33 am

    […] Crispy Asian Pork Belly on Steamed Buns […]

    Reply
  2. Bao: Chinese Steamed Buns • Homemade Italian Cooking says:
    November 2, 2015 at 9:47 pm

    […] once you taste a warm, steamed homemade bao, you will be in love. I can’t wait to stuff it with my crispy succulent pork belly recipe with pickled cucumber and hoisin sauce. My imagination is running away with me concocting new […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




9 + four =

Primary Sidebar

Delicious Detox & Powerfoods Cookbook! BUY NOW

About Me

Welcome to my home kitchen! I'm Cara. Are you a busy foodie looking for fabulous recipes and menu ideas? This is the place for you. Learn my tips and tricks to being a great home cook. Food, family and love are everything. Read More…

Popular Recipes

All Pork Belly Porchetta Roast with Crispy Skin

All Belly Porchetta Roast

This is the King of Pork Roasts, or another way to put it a BACON ROAST! ...

Read More

Marisa’s Pasta Fagioli (Pasta Fazool)

pasta fazool

Pasta Fagioli or Pasta with Beans is a comfort food from my childhood. The ...

Read More

Chocolate Almond Olive Oil Cake with Brown Butter Glaze for Mother’s Day!

Choc_Almond_Olive_Oil_Cake-1

Italian Almond Olive Oil Cake or Torta di Mandorla is a classic and simple ...

Read More

Paella on the Grill

Paella

Spanish Paella is an amazing and easy homemade meal! Layers of seafood, ...

Read More

Feast of the Seven Fishes: Lobster Arancini with Saffron Aioli Sauce

Lobster Arancini Cut to see inside

Lobster Arancini are a Sicilian delicacy!  The creamy risotto rice balls ...

Read More

Boost Your Immunity with this Great Detox Soup

Detox Soup

Are you stuck indoors and looking to make some healthy comfort food. This ...

Read More

Cioppino: A Special Occasion Italian Seafood Soup for Christmas Eve

Cioppino

Cioppino, an Italian Seafood Soup, is an experience to savor and enjoy with ...

Read More

Appetizers

scallion pancakes

Scallion Pancakes with Ginger Dipping Sauce

Fried Polenta & Pesto

Amazing Fried Polenta Cakes with Pesto

See More →

Desserts

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is Perfect for Easter

Slice of Three layer Chocolate Cake

Three-Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

See More →

Meat & Fish

Oven Baked Corned Beef with Guinness Beer, Braised Cabbage & Carrots and Crispy Smashed Red Potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata: Pan-Fried Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Lemon & Caper Sauce

See More →

Pasta, Rice & Grains

Autumn Farro Salad

Autumn Farro Salad with Tart Cherries, Kale, Pecans, and Honeycrisp Apples

Paella

Paella on the Grill

See More →

Archives

Footer

Homemade Italian Cooking with Cara LLC.

Thanks for visiting my kitchen! Family, homemade Italian cooking, and traditions are important to me. My goal in writing this blog is to pass on our family recipes to the next generation, and hopefully inspire a few new great Italian home cooks. I'd love your feedback! Please send me your comments, suggestions and questions. To learn more about me click here →

or email me cara@homemadeitaliancooking.com

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework