Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns)
Gua bao — the Taiwanese "hamburger": melt-in-the-mouth braised pork belly folded into a fluffy steamed bun with pickled greens, crushed peanuts and cilantro. Sweet-savory, messy, iconic.
Prep Time20m
Cook Time90m
Yield6 buns
CuisineTaiwanese
Ingredients
- Pork belly 600g, in one piece
- Light soy sauce 4 tbsp
- Dark soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Rock sugar 30g
- Shaoxing wine 3 tbsp
- Five-spice powder 1 tsp
- Ginger 4 slices
- Scallions 2
- Star anise 2
- Water to cover
- Steamed gua bao buns 6 (store-bought or mantou)
- Pickled mustard greens 100g, rinsed and chopped
- Crushed roasted peanuts 4 tbsp
- Cilantro a handful
- Hoisin sauce (optional)
- Sugar 1 tsp (for the greens)
Steps
- Blanch pork belly 3 min in boiling water; rinse. This removes impurities for a clean braise.
- In a pot, combine pork, soy sauces, rock sugar, wine, five-spice, ginger, scallion, star anise and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered 1.5 hours until fork-tender.
- Uncover and reduce the liquid 10 min to a glossy glaze; spoon over the pork. Rest 10 min, then slice into thick slabs.
- Steam the buns 5–8 min until fluffy. Meanwhile stir-fry the pickled greens with a little sugar 2 min.
- Assemble: open each bun, spread hoisin if using, add a slab of pork, pickled greens, crushed peanuts and cilantro. Fold and eat warm.
Tips
Low and slow is what makes the belly melt — don’t rush the 1.5-hour braise. Reducing the glaze at the end gives the shiny, sticky finish. The pickled greens + peanuts + cilantro trio is non-negotiable: they cut the richness.
