Asian Char Siu Barbecue Pork Buns

Prep Time2 hrs

Cook Time15 mins

Servings6

AuthorMelissa Lee

Quarter the pork butt lengthwise. Rub them with two tablespoons of sugar and place them in a large bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining two tablespoons of sugar, thin soy sauce, hoisin sauce, black soy sauce, rice wine, ground bean sauce, sesame oil, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Pour mixture over the pork, making sure the pork is well coated.
Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning the pork from time to time.
Preheat the oven to 420 F. When ready to roast, let the pork come to room temperature, allowing it to sit for at least 20 minutes.
Remove the pork from the marinade and place on a baking pan, which you will put on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the pork registers 155 degrees.
Remove the pork belly and transfer it to a plate and allow it to cool (at least 10 mins) to just about room temperature. When ready, cut the pork belly into small dice.

To form the buns, lightly dust one of the dough balls with flour, then flatten it with your palm into a disk.
Set the disk on a lightly floured surface. Use a French rolling pin to roll out the edge of the disk closest to you.
Then with the small dowel in one hand, while holding the opposite edge of the disk with the other hand, rotate the disk as you roll out the edge until the disk is about 3" in diameter. The outer edge of the dough will be thin all around, and the center portion will be slightly thicker.
Put one tablespoon of the filling on the thick center of the dough. Pleat dough at 1/4" intervals to encase the filling. Hold the dumpling in one hand, put the tip of the index finger of your other hand in the center of the pleated dough, then gently twist the pleats shut, removing the index finger as you twist, to completely encase the filling.

To pan-fry the buns using a medium or large nonstick skillet, heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 ½ tablespoons oil for a medium skillet and 2 tablespoons for a large one.
Place the buns one at a time, sealed edges up, in a winding circle pattern. Fry the buns for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are golden or light brown on the bottom.
Holding the lid close to the skillet, use a kettle or measuring cup to add water to a depth of roughly ¼ inch. Cover with the lid, lower the heat to medium and let the water bubble away for 4 to 5 minutes until it is mostly gone.
After 5 minutes, remove the lid. Turn the stove to low heat until most of the water is gone. Let the buns fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until the bottoms are brown and crisp.
Remove from heat and serve immediately.