Taiwanese gua bao: braised pork belly in steamed lotus buns with pickled mustard green and peanut powder

Preheat a clay pot over medium heat. Pan-fry a few pork belly slabs 1 to 2 minutes a side, covered against splatter, only to render a little fat, not to brown them; remove.

In about a tablespoon of the rendered oil, saute the shallots, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves on low heat, stirring, until the bottom of the pot feels sticky.

Add five spice powder, white pepper, sugar, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce and dark soy sauce.

Add all the pork, seared and raw, and 2 to 3 cups of water so the pieces are submerged; cover, bring to a boil and simmer about one and a half hours, until very tender.

Bloom the active dry yeast with the sugar in lukewarm water for five minutes until foamy.

Add the flour, mix roughly, and knead in a stand mixer on medium about 10 minutes until smooth.

Shape into a ball and proof one hour, until doubled.

For the peanut powder, combine roasted unsalted peanuts with three tablespoons of sugar.

Rinse the pickled mustard green and squeeze out the water to reduce saltiness.

Skim fat from the top of the braise and saute the mustard green in it for a few minutes, no salt; set aside.

Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces of about 50 grams; roll into balls.

Flatten each, dust with flour and roll into an oval about a third of an inch thick; brush half with oil and fold over.

Set each bun on parchment in the steamer and proof 20 to 30 minutes, until one and a half times the size.

Bring the water to a boil on high and steam 12 minutes; turn off the heat and rest the buns 10 minutes before opening so they do not shrink.

Open each bun, add pickled mustard green, a piece of pork belly halved with scissors and some sauce, then peanut powder, cilantro and diced red chili.