Pulled Pork Bao Buns

If you’re looking for a quick, simple recipe with minimal ingredients, I’m going to politely suggest you skip right along. This one is a true labour of love—but for me, that’s the perfect way to spend a slow weekend day in the kitchen. I love nothing more than building flavour over the course of many hours and watching the fruits of my labour come together in one beautifully satisfying dish. These bao buns are it.

I usually cook pork shoulder with Mexican spices, but for this recipe I felt inspired to switch it up, and I’m so glad that I did. The aromas of this deeply flavourful pork will fill your kitchen for hours on end. The recipe is sweet, spicy, umami, and just the right amount of sticky. The buns aren’t difficult to make, but they do take some time. Don’t have a bamboo steamer basket? That’s fair! A regular metal steamer insert over a pot will work just fine.

Give this one a go the next time you’ve got a free, rainy weekend, and let me know how it turns out!

Pulled Pork Bao Buns

Makes: ~12 buns
Total Time: 7 hours
Hands-on Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Pork

• 2 kg pork shoulder*
• 50 g brown sugar (¼ cup)
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1–2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1-inch ginger, sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 shallot, quartered
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 3/4 cup chicken stock

Buns

• 300 g all-purpose flour (2 ½ cups)
• 2 tsp instant yeast (8 g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 175 ml whole milk (¾ cup)
• 2–3 tbsp neutral oil (plus more for brushing)

Pickled Carrots

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 carrot, julienned

Toppings

• Roasted peanuts, chopped
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 green onion, julienned
• 2 Thai chillies, sliced

Instructions

1. Marinate pork (optional, night before): Mix brown sugar, garlic powder, powdered ginger, five spice, cumin, paprika, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper. Rub over pork, place uncovered, fat side up on a sheet pan, and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temp before cooking.
2. Cook pork: Preheat oven to 250°F. Place fresh ginger, garlic, shallot, star anise, and cinnamon in a Dutch oven. Set pork on top fat side up. Whisk soy sauces, oyster sauce, sriracha, and stock; pour around pork. Cover and bake 4½–5 hours, until tender (185–190°F). Increase oven to 350°F, uncover, and cook 1–1½ hours until crusty and 205°F. Rest in juices.
3. Make bao dough (start ~2 hrs before pork is done): In a stand mixer, combine flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Warm the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then add to the dry ingredients with 1 tbsp oil. Mix on low until a shaggy ball forms. If it hasn’t come together after about 1 minute, drizzle in a bit more oil and continue mixing until it does. Knead in the mixer 5 min. Rest dough 10 min, then knead by hand on your counter 2 min until smooth. Cover and rise until doubled, ~1½ hrs. Roll to ¼-inch thick (not as thin as mine pictured—learn from my mistake!). Cut 4–5" circles, shape into ovals, brush top side with oil, fold in half, and let rise in a parchment-lined steamer basket.
4. Quick pickled carrots (can be made anytime): Combine boiling water with apple cider vinegar in a jar. Add sugar, salt, and carrots, and give it a good shake. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use (ideally a few hours in advance).
5. Steam buns: Bring a pot of water to a simmer (medium low heat), then steam the buns over for 8–12 minutes, until puffed and cooked through.
6. Finish pork: Skim fat from cooking liquid. Remove aromatics. Shred pork with two forks and mix with juices.
7. Assemble: Fill buns with pork and pickled carrot. Top with peanuts, cilantro, green onion, chillies, and extra sauce.

*Bone-in or boneless works.
**Marinating overnight adds flavour but can be skipped.
***If no Dutch oven, cover tightly with foil in a roasting pan.

Shopping List

⬜ 2 kg pork shoulder
⬜ Brown sugar
⬜ Garlic powder
⬜ Powdered ginger
⬜ Chinese five spice
⬜ Cumin
⬜ Smoked paprika
⬜ Chilli flakes
⬜ Salt
⬜ Pepper
⬜ Fresh ginger
⬜ Garlic cloves
⬜ Shallot
⬜ Star anise
⬜ Cinnamon stick
⬜ Light soy sauce
⬜ Dark soy sauce
⬜ Oyster sauce
⬜ Sriracha
⬜ Chicken stock o
⬜ All-purpose flour
⬜ Instant yeast
⬜ Baking powder
⬜ Sugar
⬜ Whole milk
⬜ Neutral oil
⬜ Apple cider vinegar
⬜ Carrot
⬜ Roasted peanuts
⬜ Fresh cilantro
⬜ Green onion
⬜ Thai chillies
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