Taiwanese Gua Bao (Pork Belly Steamed Bun)

About This Recipe

Gua bao — literally 'cut bun' — is Taiwan's beloved pork belly slider, sold from night-market stalls in Taipei, Tainan, and Kaohsiung and elevated to global fame by chefs like David Chang at Momofuku and the Bao restaurant in London. The bun is the marvel: a folded oval of milky-white mantou, steamed until cloud-soft and faintly sweet, that opens like an oyster shell to hold its filling. Inside goes hong shao rou — pork belly braised slowly in soy, rock sugar, Shaoxing wine, star anise, and ginger until the fat is silken and the meat slips apart at a touch. Then come the contrasts: suan cai (sour-pickled mustard greens) for tang, crushed roasted peanut sugar for crunch and sweet, and a heap of fresh coriander for greenness. Every bite delivers five textures at once — soft, fatty, sour, crunchy, fresh — and the genius of the design is that the bun absorbs the braising sauce just enough to be saucy without falling apart. Originally a folk snack eaten at the year-end weiya banquet (where bosses thank workers), gua bao traveled with the Taiwanese diaspora to New York and London in the 2010s and became a global hit. Made at home over a weekend, it's an utterly satisfying project.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 300 gplain flour
• 150 mlwarm whole milk
• 30 gcaster sugar
• 5 ginstant yeast
• 3 gbaking powder
• 15 mlneutral oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 kgskin-on pork belly, in one piece
• 60 mllight soy sauce
• 30 mldark soy sauce (for color)
• 60 mlShaoxing wine
• 40 grock sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 3star anise pods
• 1 stickcinnamon
• 4 slicesfresh ginger
• 3scallions, halved
• 150 gsuan cai (Taiwanese pickled mustard greens), rinsed and chopped
• 80 groasted peanuts, finely crushed with 30 g caster sugar
• 1 bunchfresh coriander, leaves picked

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the bun dough

   Whisk warm milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl; rest 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour, baking powder, and oil; knead 10 minutes by hand or 6 minutes in a stand mixer until smooth and elastic. Cover and prove 90 minutes at warm room temperature until doubled.

   The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky — add a teaspoon of flour at a time if needed.

2. 2

   Start the pork

   While the dough proves, blanch the pork belly in boiling water 3 minutes to remove scum, drain, and pat dry. Cut into 8 thick slabs about 2.5 cm wide so each gua bao gets a generous piece.

3. 3

   Braise the pork belly

   In a heavy pot, sear pork slabs skin-side down 4 minutes until lightly golden. Add both soys, Shaoxing, rock sugar, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, scallions, and water to barely cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 2 hours over very low heat. The meat should be silken and the sauce reduced to a syrupy glaze.

4. 4

   Shape the buns

   Punch down the dough, divide into 8 equal pieces (about 60 g each). Roll each into a 12 cm oval, brush lightly with oil, and fold in half lengthwise. Place on small squares of parchment to prevent sticking.

5. 5

   Second prove

   Rest the folded buns on a tray 30 minutes — they should look pillowy and a finger-press should slowly spring back. Underproofed buns steam dense, overproofed collapse.

6. 6

   Steam the buns

   Bring water to a strong boil in a steamer. Steam the buns in bamboo or metal baskets 10 minutes over rolling steam. Turn off heat and rest 5 minutes before opening — this prevents shock-collapse from temperature change.

7. 7

   Assemble

   Open each warm bun gently along its fold. Place a slab of glossy pork belly inside, spoon over a tablespoon of the reduced braising sauce, then layer with pickled mustard greens, a generous sprinkle of sweet peanut crumble, and a fistful of coriander.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Eat with both hands while the bun is still warm. The contrasts — soft bun, fatty pork, sour greens, sweet peanut, fresh coriander — must be experienced in one bite.

Variations

• •

  Chicken thigh gua bao — braise boneless skin-on thighs the same way, 45 minutes instead of 2 hours.

• •

  Crispy pork belly: after braising, fry skin-side down in hot oil 3 minutes for a crackling layer (Hong Kong style).

• •

  Vegan: use braised king oyster mushrooms or marinated tempeh with the same five-spice braising sauce.

• •

  Modern Bao London style: add Sriracha mayo and a sprinkle of Maldon salt for an Anglo twist.

Storage

Braised pork keeps refrigerated 4 days, freezes 2 months — flavor improves on day two. Steamed buns refrigerate 3 days (re-steam to revive), freeze 1 month. Assemble only just before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions