Lunch · 60 min · chinese

Gua Bao

Dinner decisions, handled: Gua Bao pairs pork belly with gua bao buns for a 60-minute Chinese lunch. At 693 calories and 15g protein per serving, it fits easily into a high-protein day. Leftovers keep well, so it doubles as next-day lunch without any extra work.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 1 lb Pork belly
• 8 Gua bao buns
• 0.25 cup Hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 2 Star anise
• 0.5 cup Pickled mustard greens
• 0.25 cup Peanuts
• 0.5 cup Cilantro

Steps

1. Braise the pork belly in water with both soy sauces, sugar, and star anise 50 minutes until fork-tender. Cool slightly, then slice thick.
2. Steam the bao buns 8 minutes until puffy and soft. Keep them covered — they stiffen in air.
3. Crush the peanuts coarse and chop the pickled greens. These two — crunch and sour — are what keep the rich pork in balance.
4. Open each bun, spread with hoisin, and tuck in two slices of pork, pickled greens, peanuts, and cilantro.
5. Eat immediately, in two bites, over the plate. The Taiwanese hamburger earns its nickname.

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