Morgan Hipworth – Crispy Pork Belly Bao

Method

For the crispy pork:

1. Preheat your Westinghouse oven to 90°C.
2. Score both the skin and meat side of the pork belly using a sharp knife.
3. In a small bowl, mix together Chinese five spices, onion powder, white pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and brown sugar.
4. Rub the spice mix over the meat side of the pork belly, making sure to get into the score marks.
5. Flip the pork belly over into a foil-lined baking tray, skin-side up, and brush white vinegar over the skin.
6. Once the oven is heated, bake the pork belly for 40 minutes at 90°C to dry out the skin.
7. After 40 minutes, take out the pork belly, brush the skin with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
8. Switch the oven setting to the AirFry function and increase the temperature to 220°C. Continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender.

For the chilli mayo:

1. While the pork is cooking, prepare the chilli mayo. In a bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, and lime juice. Set aside in the fridge until needed.

To serve:

1. Prepare the bao buns according to the package instructions. Typically, this involves steaming them until they are soft and warm.
2. Once the pork is ready, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes.
3. Slice it into thin pieces.
4. Open up a bao bun and spread a generous dollop of chilli mayo inside.
5. Layer in the crispy pork, followed by grated carrot, cucumber slices, and slices of Birds Eye chilli.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and repeat the process with the remaining bao buns.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy your homemade Pork Belly Bao Buns!