Gok's Chinese street food - BBQ pork bao buns
They’ve been a Chinese staple for centuries, with a recent surge in popularity all over the world.
Gok’s making Char Siu Pork Bao - fluffy, steamed buns filled with sweet sticky pork.
This classic Chinese street food will be served alongside a bright, crunchy and colourful Asian coleslaw.
Gok's Chinese style BBQ pork bao buns with coleslaw
Serves 4, makes 8 bao buns
Ingredients
4 tbsp hoisin sauce, from a tin
2 tbsp yellow bean sauce (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1cm piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 star anise
4 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp tomato puree
¼ tsp Chinese five spice powder
2 tbsp honey, plus a little extra for drizzling
1 pork loin fillet, about 450g
1 large carrot, julienne
¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
½ white onion, finely sliced
1 tsp wasabi paste
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp black sesame seeds
Juice of 1 lime
½ tsp vegetable stock powder
8 bao buns
Method
1. Make the marinade by adding the hoisin sauce, yellow bean sauce, garlic, ginger, star anise, caster sugar, tomato puree, Chinese five spice and honey into a bowl.
2. Place the pork loin into the marinade and baste every 10 to 15 minutes for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C fan. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and place the pork loin on top.
4. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, basting every ten minutes with the remaining marinade, until the pork is cooked through. Turn up the oven temperature to 210C fan and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes, to crisp the surface of the pork. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
5. To make the coleslaw, mix together the carrots, red onion and cabbage.
6. Mix together the mayonnaise, wasabi paste, black sesame seeds and lime. Stir until well combined and drizzle over the coleslaw.
7. Heat through the bao buns. Finely slice the pork and fill the bao buns, then spoon in some of the coleslaw.