Go Back
Maple glazed pork belly bao buns filled with sliced pork, pickled cucumber, and scallions on a wooden board

Maple Glazed Pork Belly Bao: Sticky, Steamed Buns

Slow-roasted pork belly glazed with maple-soy syrup, sliced and stuffed into steamed bao buns with a quick cucumber pickle.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork Belly and Marinade
  • 900 g Boneless pork belly, skin removed about 2 lbs
  • 1 tsp Five spice powder
  • 4 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
Maple Glaze
  • 60 ml Maple syrup 1/4 cup, real maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/2 tsp Chili flakes optional
Assembly
  • 8 pieces Steamed bao buns frozen, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 Persian cucumber, thin sliced
  • 1 tbsp Rice vinegar for quick pickle
  • 1 tsp Sugar for quick pickle
  • 2 Scallions, sliced
  • Fresh cilantro leaves small handful
  • 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds

Method
 

Marinate and Roast the Pork Belly
  1. Pat the pork belly dry with paper towels and place it in a baking dish.
  2. Mix five spice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork belly.
  3. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for deeper flavor.
  4. Heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F. Place the pork belly fat-side up in a roasting dish with 120 ml water in the bottom, and cover tightly with foil.
  5. Roast for 80 minutes, until a fork slides into the meat with little resistance.
Make the Maple Glaze
  1. While the pork roasts, combine maple syrup, soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes in a small saucepan.
  2. Simmer over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the glaze thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
Glaze, Finish, and Assemble the Bao
  1. Remove the foil and increase oven heat to 220 C / 425 F. Brush the pork belly generously with half the glaze.
  2. Roast uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, brushing once more, until the glaze is caramelized and the internal temperature reads 195 F / 90 C.
  3. Rest the pork belly for 10 minutes, then slice against the grain into 1 cm strips.
  4. While the pork rests, toss cucumber slices with rice vinegar and sugar for a quick pickle. Steam the bao buns according to package directions, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Fill each bao with sliced pork belly, a drizzle of remaining glaze, quick pickled cucumber, scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Roast pork belly covered for the first stage so the fat renders slowly.
  • Don't skip resting the meat before slicing or it falls apart.
  • Simmer the glaze until spoon-coating thick, thin glaze won't caramelize.
  • Marinate at least 30 minutes, but overnight gives noticeably deeper flavor.