How to Make Your Own Taiwanese Pork Belly Gua Bao

One of my all-time favorite Taiwanese foods is the 割包 (Taiwanese pronunciation is “gua bao”). It’s sweet and savory braised pork belly on a white lotus leaf bun, complete with pickled veggies, crushed sugar peanuts, and cilantro. It’s the literal best. I remember streetside vendors selling these treats in Taipei and every time I spotted one, it was like finding gold. I haven’t had one in New York that didn’t cost at least $10, whereas I was used to shelling out $1.50 for them in Taiwan, so I set out to make my own. Check it out below.

Ingredients

Serves 4 healthy appetites ;)

Pork Belly

2 lbs of pork belly, cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch segments depending on the size of your bun
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or peanut oil (I used the latter)
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
3 stalks of scallions, trimmed and chopped into large segments
8 pieces of ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 cups of brown sugar
2 cloves of star anise
1/2 cup of rice wine
1 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of dark soy sauce (老抽)
2 cups of water

Fixings

1 pack of lotus leaf buns (name describes the shape, not the ingredient — find this in the frozen section of a Chinese grocery)
1/4 cup of pickled mustard greens, finely diced (find this at a Chinese grocery, as well)
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup of sweet crushed peanut (recipe below)

Sweet Crushed Peanuts

1/2 cup of unsalted, skin-off roasted peanuts
1 1/2 tablespoons of white sugar

Directions

1. Start heating the oil in a large wok or Dutch oven over medium high heat until oil starts to shimmer. (I started with a large saucepan and had to switch to a wok to accommodate the amount of pork, so I’d suggest making sure you have a big enough pot to start. Choose one with a lid, as you’ll need it later).

2. Transfer pork belly to the pot in one flat layer. Be careful of the sizzling oil. Let the pork brown without moving for 30 to 45 seconds before flipping to the other side. You should get a light golden color. Let it cook on the other side for another minute to 2 minutes. You may have to do this step in batches. Set the pork aside on a plate and move on to the next step.

3. In the same pot, add the garlic, scallions, and ginger and sauté while stirring actively for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Next, add in the brown sugar and stir until it’s dissolved and the sugar begins to bubble, about another minute. Add the pork back into the pot and stir until all the meat is well-coated.

4. Add the rice wine and stir well to incorporate the sugar. Bring this to a boil, and then add the star anise, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and water. Stir until well combined and pork belly is mostly submerged. Bring this to a boil again and then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Let this simmer for about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, or until the pork belly is tender.

5. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, make your sweet crushed peanut powder by crushing the peanuts first. You want a rough grain (approximately kernels the size of sushi rice) so there’s still some crunch. Place your crushed peanuts in a bowl and add the sugar. Using a pair of chopsticks, carefully mix in the sugar until it’s well combined.

6. When there’s about 15 minutes left on your braised pork belly, start steaming your lotus leaf buns according to the instructions on the package.

Assemble by creating a thin bed of mustard greens in your bao, layer pork belly over that, top with chopped cilantro, sprinkle with sweet crushed peanuts, and voilà! The most perfect bite in the world. Enjoy.

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(Featured photo: Kimberly Wang)