Pork Belly Gua Bao

Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, wheat starch, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and milk. Stir with a spatula until the flour absorbs the liquid. Knead the dough into a ball. Continue to knead on a cutting board until the dough is no longer sticky and smooth. Wrap it in a plastic wrapper. Let it rest for 1-2 hours.

Knead the dough into a 5-6 inch long strip. Evenly divide it into six pieces; about 50-60g each. Divide it as even as possible, so the size of the bun will be the same. Roll each piece into a ball. Press the roller in the middle of a ball, roll it into a flat oval. Brush a thin layer of oil on top; fold the oval in half; place it in a steamer.

Let them rise in the steamer for 30-40 minutes until doubled. (If you don't have a bamboo steamer, pay attention to prevent water drops get on the buns when using another steamer.) Starting from cold water, set the stove at high heat, steam for 15-20 minutes, Turn off the stove. Note: Don't lift the cover immediately. Wait for five more minutes.

Marinate pork belly: in a large bowl, mix well ground black pepper, garlic salt, five-spice powder, sugar, onion powder, cumin powder, garlic powder, and rice wine. Coat the pork belly with the mixture evenly. Marinate for 2-3 hours.

Bake the pork belly at 350°F/180°C for 35-40 minutes.

Braise the pork belly. With a medium cooking pan over medium heat, fry the rock sugar until caramelized. Add shallot, green onion, water, red wine, sugar, honey, light soy sauce, salt, and white pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until thickened. Add the poke belly, continue cooking for 5-8 minutes over low heat to flavor the pork. Turn the heat too high to thicken the sauce.

Assemble the sub: Put pork belly, pickled mustard green, a tablespoon of crushed peanut, cilantro in the middle of the steamed bun. You can add chili sauce if you like it spicy. Drizzle some sauce of the braised pork on top. Enjoy.