Tasty Bao Bun Recipes

FRAGRANT SLOW COOKED PULLED PORK BAO

Preparation Time: 10 mins    |    
Cooking Time: 2-2 ½ hours    |    
Makes filling for 8-10 Bao Buns

Ingredients

1 Kg (approx.) piece pork belly, skin on, bone in
2 large red onions, sliced
4 whole star anise
1 ½ cups unsweetened apple juice
KUNGFOOD Bao Buns to serve

Method

1. Remove the packaging from the pork if necessary. With a sharp knife score the pork thinly (alternatively get your butcher to do this for you). Rub the skin with salt. Place on a tray and cover with baking paper. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow the skin to dry out (to ensure crispy crackling, the skin must be well dried out).
2. Preheat the oven to 140°C (fan assisted) or 150°C (conventional). Place the prepared red onions into a roasting dish. Put the star anise on top of the onions. Sit the pork (skin side up) on the onions. Pour the apple juice around the base of the pork, avoiding getting the skin wet (make sure the roasting dish is not too large otherwise the apple juice will evaporate too quickly). Cook uncovered for 2 – 2 ½ hours, until the pork is very tender. Add a little water if necessary to the dish if the liquid reduces too much, to ensure the onions do not burn.
3. Remove the meat from the roasting dish. Pour the onions and remaining apple jus into a saucepan and remove the star anise.  Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (fan assisted). Return the pork to the roasting dish and put it back in the oven for a further 15-20 minutes to allow the crackling to crisp up.
4. Reduce the onion and apple jus over a high heat until thick and syrupy.
5. Remove the crackling from the pork, set aside and keep warm. Shred the pork off the bone with 2 forks. Return the meat to the apple and onion jus and mix it through.
6. Fill Bao Buns with the shredded pork and accompanying salad of your choice. Serve crackling on the side.
7. Devour!

BANG BANG! CHICKEN BAO

Preparation Time: 10 mins    |    
Cooking Time: 10 mins    |    
Makes filling for 6-8 Bao Buns

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Sweet Chilli Sauce
½ cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
1 cup Panko Crumbs
¼ cup Graze Roasted & Salted Peanuts, finely chopped
2 tsp crushed Sichuan Peppercorns
400g Chicken Tenderloins
¼ cup Vegetable oil
KUNGFOOD Bao Buns to serve

Method

1. Mix the Sweet Chilli Sauce and Mayonnaise together.
2. Mix Panko Crumbs, chopped Peanuts and Sichuan Peppercorns together. Place on a tray or plate.
3. Cut the chicken tenderloins into 4cm pieces. Dip in the Chilli Mayonnaise. Coat the chicken in the panko crumb mix. Place on a baking paper lined tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Over a medium to high heat cook the crumbed chicken in a single layer for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain any excess oil and keep warm while cooking the rest of the chicken.
5. Fill Bao Buns with the chicken and accompanying salad of your choice.
6. Devour!

The Bang Bang Chicken Tenders can be cooked in the oven if preferred. Place prepared crumbed tenders on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Pour a little oil over the chicken. Bake in a preheated 200°C (fan bake) oven for 10 minutes, turning once during cooking to ensure a crispy golden crumb.

ASIAN PULLED BEEF BAO

Preparation Time: 15 mins    |    
Cooking Time: 2 ½ - 3 hours (6-7 hours Slow Cooker*)    |    
Makes filling for 8-10 Bao Buns

Ingredients

750g Beef shin, trimmed and cut into 3-4 pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
2 whole star anise
2 tsp brown sugar
¼ cup low salt soy sauce
1 ¼ cups water
KUNGFOOD Bao Buns to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (fan assisted) or 150°C (conventional). Heat a dash of oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Brown the beef pieces over a high heat. Remove from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat and add the onion and cook over a low heat until onion softens. Add garlic and ginger and cook a further 1 minute.
2. Add five spice powder, whole star anise, brown sugar, soy sauce and water. Stir and bring up to the boil. Return meat to the pan. Cover. Place in the oven and cook for 2 ½ – 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Check every hour to make sure that the cooking liquid has not reduced too much. If you find there is not enough liquid, top up with a little extra water.
3. Transfer the cooked beef to a chopping board and shred the meat using two forks. Return the remaining sauce to the stove top. Remove the whole star anise and reduce the sauce, if necessary. Add the shredded meat back into the sauce. The sauce should just coat the meat.
4. Fill Bao Buns with the shredded beef and accompanying salad of your choice.
5. Devour!

*This recipe can be cooked in a slow cooker for 6-7 hours on low. Proceed with step 1. Place meat in the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients, reducing the water to ¾ cup. At the end of cooking it may be necessary to transfer the sauce to a saucepan and reduce it on the stove top before adding in the shredded meat.

KUNG FU SLAW

Preparation Time: 15 mins    |    
Serves 8-10 people

Method

1. Mix all the vegetables and chopped mint together. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or alternatively put them into a screw top jar and shake well. Toss the dressing through the salad.
2. Fill Bao Buns with the meat/vegetable filling of your choice with this accompanying salad.

ASIAN CARROT & COURGETTE SALAD

Preparation Time: 15 mins    |    
Serves 4-6 people

Method

1. Cut carrot and courgette using a spiralizer. Alternatively cut the vegetables into thin julienne strips. Place in a bowl with the pea shoots and torn coriander leaves.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or alternatively put them into a screw top jar and shake well. Toss the dressing through the salad.
3. Fill Bao Buns with the meat/vegetable filling of your choice with this accompanying salad.

FENNEL, APPLE AND MINT SALAD

Preparation Time: 15 mins    |    
Serves 4-6 people

Method

1. Thinly slice the fennel bulb, or use a mandoline. Cut the apple into quarters, remove the core and slice thinly. Place in a salad bowl with the roughly chopped mint leaves. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or alternatively put them into a screw top jar and shake to mix. Toss the dressing through the salad.
2. Fill Bao Buns with the meat/vegetable filling of your choice with this accompanying salad.