Recipe: Steamed buns with pork belly and kimchi
A bun as soft as a baby’s bottom with ultra-crispy pork belly, lime mayonnaise and kimchi. FavorFlav chef Rosah van Schendelen served the ultimate snack at the Food Top 100—and here’s the recipe.
Steamed buns generally sell like hotcakes. Just like pork belly, as it happens, so when I was allowed to serve a snack during the FavorFlav Food Top 100 in collaboration with Santa Maria, the choice was quickly made. I like pork belly best when it has been cooked slowly and melts in your mouth. Still, I wanted to do things differently this time. Because with a bun as soft as a baby’s bottom, I wanted to make the pork belly as crispy as possible for contrast. So instead of cured and sous-vide-cooked pork belly, I used our own quintessentially Dutch pork belly steaks. Just as delicious and extra easy to make at home—just the way we like it.
Vegetarian version
Prefer to go meat-free for a day? Replace the pork belly with Gold&Green Pulled Oats. Pulled what? Pulled oats. It is made from oats, fava beans and yellow peas. The texture is reminiscent of pulled pork and the flavor is neutral, making it easy to season to your own taste. It is completely plant-based and a top source of protein, so it’s perfect if you want to skip meat for a change!
Method
1. Mix 50 grams of Kimchi Spice Mix with the Chinese cabbage and leave covered for an hour. The cabbage will then have a lovely soft texture and the flavor of real kimchi.
2. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Fry the pork belly steaks until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Cut the pork belly steaks into pieces the size of the buns.
3. Put the pork belly in a bowl and stir in the tomato sauce, palm sugar and remaining Kimchi Spice Mix. Going for the vegetarian or vegan version? Replace the pork belly with Gold&Green Pulled Oats.
4. Mix the Kewpie mayonnaise with the lime juice and zest. Cut the spring onion into very fine strips.
6. Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over high heat and fry the pork belly for approx. 5 minutes, until it starts to caramelize. Season with salt if desired. Using Pulled Oats? You don’t need to caramelize them—just briefly fry them in a frying pan with sunflower oil.
7. Steam the mini buns in a steamer basket or steam oven for approx. 10 minutes, until cooked through. Fill the mini buns with the crispy pork belly/Pulled Oats, lime mayonnaise and kimchi. Garnish with the spring onion and toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
Also read:
