Bao buns are very popular and we’ve created ours with pork belly, crackling and a sweet chilli, fennel and apple slaw. Great to impress guests on the weekend!
Prep Time 20 minutes (PLUS 4 hours or overnight refrigeration)
Cook Time 2½–3 hours
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Ingredients
Roast Pork:
1 Kg piece boned pork belly, skin on
1 tsp salt
2 red onions, sliced
3-4 Gregg's Whole Star Anise
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
Chilli, Fennel and Apple Slaw:
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
¼ small savoy cabbage, finely sliced
1 small carrot, grated
1 green apple, grated
¼ cup HEINZ [SERIOUSLY] GOOD™ Sweet Chilli Mayonnaise
Bao Buns:
8 frozen Bao buns, thawed
Gregg's Sesame Seeds to garnish (optional)
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish (optional)
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Average Quantity per Serving
Nutrition information is calculated using a recipe analysis program and is subject to variations you may make to the ingredients or cooking method. This nutrition information is intended as a guide only and excludes serving suggestions and swaps you may make.
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INGREDIENTS
Made with
Method
Step 1
Using a sharp knife, score the pork skin thinly. (alternatively, get the butcher to do this for you.) Rub the skin with salt. Place on a tray and cover with baking paper. Refrigerate for 4 hours or ideally overnight to allow the skin to dry out.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 150°C (fan assisted). Put the onions and Gregg's Whole Star Anise into a roasting dish.* Sit the prepared pork on the onions, skin side uppermost. Pour the apple juice around the base of the pork, being careful not to get any on the skin.
Step 3
Roast for 2-2½ hours or until the pork is tender. Make sure that the liquid does not evaporate, adding more apple juice or water if necessary.
Step 4
Remove the pork from the roasting dish and set aside. Pour the remaining apple jus and onions into a saucepan. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (fan assisted). Put the pork into the roasting dish and return it to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes or until the crackling has crisped.
Step 5
Simmer the onion and apple jus until reduced to a sticky jam consistency. Remove the star-anise.
Step 6
To make the Chilli, Fennel and Apple Slaw: Toss the ingredients together, mixing through the HEINZ [SERIOUSLY] GOOD™ Sweet Chilli Mayonnaise.
Step 7
To serve, heat the Bao buns according to packet directions. Fill the buns with thickly sliced pork, glazed onions and slaw. Sprinkle with Gregg's Sesame Seeds and coriander, if wished.
Tips
To ensure you get good pork crackling, the skin must be well dried out.
*Make sure the roasting dish is appropriate for the size of the pork, too big and the liquid will evaporate too quickly.
Swap It Out
Brioche or ciabatta buns are a good altertive to bao buns.
What do I need?
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1
1 Kg piece boned pork belly, skin on
2
1 tsp salt
3
2 red onions, sliced
4
3 –4 Gregg’s Whole Star Anise
5
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
6
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
7
¼ small savoy cabbage, finely sliced
8
1 small carrot, grated
9
1 green apple, grated
10
¼ cup HEINZ [SERIOUSLY] GOOD™ Sweet Chilli Mayonnaise