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Asian Pork Ragout in Bao Buns

These little bundles of joy are so flavorful and spicy with a little tang from the slaw! Enjoy them with your family or as part of a gathering with friends.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds pork belly in one chunk, if you can find it, or pork butt/shoulder
  • 1/8 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 cup kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 8 ounces onions chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 cup Gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes, grounded or pounded further, more if you want it spicy spicy
  • 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorn grounded or pounded
  • 1-4 dried Thai chili's again, depending how spicy you want it, grounded or pounded
  • 2 tablespoons Toban Jan chili bean sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 1/4 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 3/4 -1 cups chicken stock/broth
  • 1 batch or 2, of store-bought or homemade Bao buns, or a bun/dinner roll of your choice
  • 1/2 of an English cucumber or two mini cucumbers thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup carrots julienned
  • 1/4 cup red pepper thinly sliced (mild mini bells or spicy jalapeno)
  • 1 stalk green onion thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped or leaves pulled
  • 4 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup peanuts finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Check your pork belly. If the top fat layer is too thick for your tastes then cut some off before curing.
  • Cure pork belly by mixing 1/8 cup each of sugar and salt and sprinkling it evenly on all sides. Cover and set in the frig for 24 hours.
  • After 24 hours, remove from frig and quickly rinse the salt/sugar off of the meat and pat dry. Score the fat in a hatch mark pattern.
  • Put in a roasting pan, cover tightly with foil and roast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Remove foil and turn oven to 350 degrees and roast for another 30-45 minutes until the fat has a light golden color.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Place meat on a small foil lined sheet pan and lightly cover with plastic wrap and then a piece of foil and top with a heavy cast iron skillet (or anything heavy and clean, if you don’t have a heavy pan) then place in the frig overnight to 24 hours. This step is to press the meat, so it is compact.
  • When you are ready to make the ragout, take out the meat and cut into about 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes.
  • In a sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil and add chopped onions and garlic with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt to sweat (about 5 minutes)
  • Add the grounded/pounded Gochugaru, Szechuan peppercorn and dry Thai chili’s to the onion mixture and stir well.
  • Then add the chili bean sauce, soy sauce, sugar and stock and mix well.
  • Add the cubed pork belly and give it a good stir then let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and cool for about 15 minutes, then place in a container and let it sit in the frig overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
  • The day you want to eat, make the bao buns and steam (if using).
  • In the meantime, make simple slaw by mixing sugar and vinegar and adding it to the cucumber, carrots, red pepper and green onion, combine well. Let sit for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the meat mixture from frig and warm up.
  • Now you are ready to assemble. Add about 2 tablespoons of pork filling into the opening of a bao bun and top with some pickled slaw, chopped cilantro and peanuts.