Sticky pork bao buns

Try something new with these fluffy and delicious pork-filled bao buns. Our free-range pork belly has been cooked sous vide with the finest fresh ingredients such as honey, garlic, fennel seeds and thyme. Sous vide is a method of slow-cooking which ensures an even cook and deliciously tender meat.

Perfect for impressing friends and family, these bao buns will be something to be proud of and leave you wanting more.

5 hours

2-3

Hard

For the pork belly:
• Field & Flower 540g pack of sous vide pork belly with garlic and fennel
• 750g floury potatoes, peeled & diced
• 3 tbsp dark soy
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 thumb sized piece ginger from above
• 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

For the pickled red cabbage:
• ¼ red cabbage, core removed, finely shredded
• 125ml apple cider vinegar
• 125ml boiling water
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fine salt

For the buns:
• 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 7g pack fast action dried yeast
• Large pinch fine salt
• 50ml lukewarm milk
• 100ml lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing

To serve:
• Small handful fresh coriander leaves, torn
• 10cm piece cucumber, cut into thin sticks
• 3 spring onions, cut into 4cm lengths and shredded lengthways
• 30g salted peanuts, chopped
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced

1. First, make the pickled cabbage. Remove the core from the cabbage, finely shred and place it into a bowl or lidded jar. Pour the vinegar, boiling water, sugar, salt and mustard seeds into a small pan on a low heat for 1-2 minutes/until bubbling. Pour the hot liquid over the cabbage until it is fully submerged and leave to cool. Seal and refrigerate until it is needed, this will take at least 2 hours and the cabbage will be deep pink in colour.

2. Dough time. Tip the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, yeast and salt into a large bowl and mix. Measure the warm milk, oil and 100ml of warm water in a jug and then pour over the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon. Once it comes together in a ball, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leave for about an hour to double in size.

3. Place the dough onto a floured surface, roll into a sausage shape and cut into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball, then, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each bun into a flat oval shape. Brush the top of each oval with vegetable oil using a pastry brush, then fold them over a greased chopstick or skewer and place on a flat baking tray, lined with baking paper. Leave to rest for 1 hour. Once they have doubled in size, slide the chopstick or skewer out, carefully.

4. Heat your oven to 190°C fan/gas mark 5, place the contents of the sous vide pork into a small ovenproof dish and cook for 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat your steamer and steam the buns on circles of baking parchment in batches, for around 10 minutes, until they puff up and are no longer sticky to touch.

6. Gently heat the soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, ginger, chilli, garlic, honey and brown sugar in a small frying pan until they melt together. Add the cooked pork and all the cooking juices to the frying pan and baste the pork with the glaze until it is well coated. Remove the pork from the pan, shred or slice, set aside and keep warm.

7. Pour the sauce into a bowl to serve with the buns. Split the buns and stuff each one with the pork, drizzled with some of the sauce. Scatter over some coriander leaves, cucumber matchsticks and shredded spring onions, then sprinkle chopped nuts, chilli and pickled cabbage on the side.

8. Indulge!