Char Siu Glazed Pork And Pineapple Buns Recipes

CHAR SIU-GLAZED PORK AND PINEAPPLE BUNS

Steps:

• Make brine: In a large pot, bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in salt, brown sugar, and vanilla. Chill until cool.
• Put pork in a 9- by 13-in. pan and pour on brine. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 12. Make char siu glaze: In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, hoisin, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Pour half the sauce into another small bowl. Prepare grill for indirect medium heat (350° to 450°; you can hold your hand 5 inches above cooking grate only 5 to 7 seconds). Lay pork over indirect-heat area and cook, covered, until meat reaches 135° on a meat thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a pastry brush and one bowl of glaze, cover pork with glaze, saving 2 tablespoons for the pineapple. Cook pork (if using charcoal, add 6 to 8 briquets to maintain temperature), turning occasionally, until glaze has caramelized slightly and meat thermometer reaches 145°, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 15 minutes. Lay pineapple slices on direct-heat area of grill, brush with 2 tablespoons reserved glaze, and cook, turning once, until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Remove slices from grill and cut in half. Cut pork into 1/2-in. slices. Cut a deep diagonal slit across the top of each roll. Fill each roll with a piece of pork, half a grilled pineapple slice, a cilantro sprig, and 1/2 teaspoons glaze from second bowl. Serve rolls with remaining glaze for drizzling.

CHAR SIU BAO (PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• To make meat:.
• Combine marinade. Marinate pork at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Cooking methods:.
• a) place meat on a roasting pan with a rack -- with the pan below filled with water and roast at 350 F until done (turn over half way through) OR.
• b) cook in a crock pot with 3 cups of water for 1 hour on high and then 7 hours on low or until it flakes apart (this is the method I have used) OR.
• c) you could try grilling or broiling the meat, but it might lack some of the moisture that the other two methods will give you.
• To make filling:.
• Sauté ginger in hot peanut oil, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix with hoisin, chili paste, green onions and meat. Let cool.
• To make dough:.
• Mix yeast, sugar and warm water; let proof (sit and rise) for about 10 minutes.
• Place flours and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, if available. (This can also be done by hand).
• Add yeast mixture. Knead until homogeneous and dough forms a ball.
• Let rise in a cool place to minimize air bubbles, about 15 minutes.
• Portion dough into 16 balls, flatten them, and place a small amount of filling into the center of each.
• Pinch back to close and form a ball shape.
• Place balls on lightly oiled piece of parchment or waxed paper (oiled plastic wrap would probably work too). Let proof 15 minutes, or until double in size.
• Place in a covered steamer, and cook for 8-10 minutes.
• Eat now or cool completely and freeze in ziplock bags (to reheat: steam 10 minutes).
• Enjoy the fruits of your labor!