Asian pork bao buns

Prep

60+ mins

Total

7 HRS 20 MIN

Servings

8 Servings


Ingredients

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

1 

Fennel bulb, finely sliced

1/4 

Small savoy cabbage, finely sliced

1 

Small carrot, grated

1 

Green apple, grated

1/4 cup

Heinz [seriously good™ sweet chilli mayonnaise

8 

Frozen bao buns, thawed

- 

Gregg's sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

- 

Fresh coriander leaves to garnish (optional)


Instructions

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.