Char siu bao

Mix two tablespoons of white sugar, two tablespoons of hoisin, a tablespoon of fermented red bean paste, a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine, four crushed cloves of garlic and grated ginger for the marinade.

Remove the skin from thick slices of pork belly, place them in a plastic parcel and pour the marinade over.

Refrigerate for 24 hours, standing the parcel on a plate or in a glass bowl.

Measure out 300 grams of all-purpose flour, add 40 grams of white sugar and 2 teaspoons of yeast, then 185 millilitres of whole milk heated to 110 degrees Fahrenheit and a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Knead with a dough hook for eight minutes until a smooth supple ball forms, then rest in an oiled covered bowl for two hours.

For the char siu sauce, combine about two tablespoons each of oyster and hoisin sauce, a heaping teaspoon of honey, maybe a teaspoon of five-spice and about a tablespoon each of soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine and fermented red bean paste.

Lightly oil a grate set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and lay out the pork; divide the char siu sauce in half, one for brushing and one for tossing.

Roast at 450 degrees Fahrenheit about 10 minutes until it starts to char, then flip, brush again and return for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Repeat until the pork reaches 180 degrees internal and is beautifully caramelized and charred.

Cool the belly, chop it into nice little tiny pieces and toss with the remaining char siu sauce.

Fill and pleat the bao as before, twisting to seal.

Steam 15 minutes on generously oiled parchment paper in the bamboo steamer and rest five minutes.