Rhoo, ça a l'air trop bon !

Ingredients

For the dough (Mo or bread)

• 200 g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
• 100 ml water , note 1
• 3/4 tsp. instant yeast

The Meat Filling

• 800 g pork belly , note 1
• 1/2 cup crystal sugar
• 2 large onion, cut into sections
• 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1 inch root ginger , divided
• Water or stock as needed
• 1 tbsp. Shaoxing cooking wine
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 4 cloves garlic

Spices

• 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorn
• 2 star anises
• 1 small cinnamon bark
• 4 ~6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 dried chili pepper
• 1 piece of dried tangerine peel
• 1 tsp. whole white pepper
• 1 chunk galangal ,optional
• 1 Fructus Amomi , optional (砂仁)
• 2 pieces of dried ginger , optional
• 1 piece of sand ginger , optional
• 1 nutmeg , optional (豆蔻)
• 1 Tsaoko Amomum ,optional (草果)

Other ingredients and seasonings

• Coriander , optional

Instructions

• Soak the spices with hot water for 5 mins and then wrap well with a bag

To make the pork belly

1. Cut pork belly into small pieces. Load wok with a large pot of water, add ginger, Sichuan peppercorn and cooking wine, cook the pork belly for 2-3 minutes after boils. Transfer out and drain.
2. Add pork belly cubes in and fry until slightly seared. Transfer out and the pour the extra oil. The animal oil can be saved for noodles and soup.
3. In a large pot, add pork belly, the spice bag, ginger, crystal sugar, green onions, salt, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Pour enough water to cover the pork belly. Bring all the content to a boiling and then slow down the fire to simmer for around 1 hour.
4. Turn off the fire and then soak the pork belly within the soup. Reheat it before assembling.

To make the bread/mo/bun

1. Mix yeast with water and set aside for 5 minutes. Add salt and oil to flour and then pour yeast water in. Mix and knead the dough until smooth. Cover with a wet cloth or plastic wrap to rest for around 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on your temperature until the dough is 1/3 bigger than the previous one. (this is just a semi fermented dough).
2. Knead the dough again to pinch the air out. Then roll the dough into a long log and divide 5 equal portions.
3. Get on portion and then shape it into long log with two small ends (watch the video for the detailed steps). Roll it out to a long facet. Roll the facet up and suck the very ending in one end of your roll. Press it down slowly. Turnover and roll out to a bread until 1.5 cm thick. Shape it to a bowl with a hand.
4. Heat up a pan. Place the bowl shaped dough in to fry until slightly brown over slow fire. Turn over to fry the second side.
5. Repeat the process to finish all the buns. Preheat oven to 190 degree C.
6. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes so the breads are completely cooked through. This helps to create a crispy shell and soft inside texture.

To assemble the bun

1. Transfer the meat out and finely minced. If you like, you can add chopped coriander and cumin powder.
2. Cut 2/3 of the bun from the middle. Lay minced pork and other ingredients within the bun.
3. Serve warm!