Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns, 割包)

Gua Bao is a dim sum classic featuring delicious braised pork belly stuffed into fluffy bao buns for a tasty traditional treat! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Everyone seems to love dim sum, so I wanted to share my Gua Bao recipe. If you’ve never had it, this classic is such a treat to have at home. Gua Bao is a popular dish from Taiwan. It’s made with a fluffy semi-circular-shaped bao bun stuffed with tender pork belly, cilantro, pickled mustard greens, and crushed peanuts. They’re usually eaten as an appetizer but can absolutely be the main event on your table.

Gua Bao is quite similar to Rou Jia Mo, a northern-style Chinese burger that is made with flatbread and chopped up pork belly. You can also make my Rou Jia Mo recipe and compare the flavors!

In this post, I’ll show you how to make the tender pork belly filling for Gua Bao. I’ve already created a post on how to make the super-soft and fluffy steamed bao buns. They require simple ingredients but do take time to make. The effort is worth it, but if you don’t have a lot of time, you can pick up store-bought buns to use instead. You can usually find them at Asian markets in the freezer section.

Ingredients

The ingredients for making braised pork belly for gua bao are quite basic and a well-stocked Chinese pantry may already have them.

For the pork belly, it would be most convenient if you can find the thinly sliced type. This type of pork belly is slightly thicker than bacon and Asian markets usually carry it. It requires less time to braise and soaks up flavor better. But don’t worry if you can only find the regular pork belly. I’ve included instructions for both types.

Cooking process

Making the filling for Gua Bao is so easy. It takes just 15 minutes of active cooking time. I recommend making a bigger batch too since you can easily use it for meal prep and freeze it for whenever the mood for dim sum strikes.

1. Brown the pork belly
2. Saute the aromatics
3. Add the seasonings to the pork and bring it to a simmer
4. Braise the pork until tender, flipping the pork in between
5. Drain the broth and remove the solid spices
6. Remove and discard the oil from the broth
7. Reduce the broth and coat the pork with it
8. And you’re ready to assemble the gua bao!

How to assemble and serve Gua Bao

Typically, Gua Bao is served with Chinese pickled mustard greens, but I highly-recommend using my quick pickled shallots instead. It creates a more refreshing taste and texture that pairs beautifully with the richness of the pork.

Besides the pickles, you should also use some chopped peanuts and cilantro to further add texture to the sandwich.

For the buns, either homemade bao buns or store-bought ones will work.

When you have guests over, Gua Bao makes a perfect appetizer. That’s how it’s traditionally served, but by all means, you can enjoy it as your main dish or for a lovely light lunch.

For entertaining though, it really is perfect since you can prep everything ahead and make it easy to serve so everyone can enjoy it as they wish.

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Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns, 割包)

Gua Bao is a dim sum classic featuring delicious braised pork belly stuffed into fluffy bao buns for a tasty traditional treat! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

This recipe makes 10 appetizer-sized buns or 5 bigger, meatier buns.

To make the dish gluten free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. And use tamari to replace the soy sauce. Note, the finished pork will have a lighter color if you use tamari.

Ingredients

Pork

Buns

Instructions

• (Optional) If you’re making my Gua Bao Bun recipe, cook the pork during the first rise of the dough. Shape the steamed buns while the pork is cooking. Then steam the buns after the pork belly is cooked.
• Heat a large skillet (*Footnote 2) over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the pork belly. Cook on both sides until the edges just turn golden, then transfer to a plate.
• Add the garlic, green onions, and ginger to the same skillet. Stir to release the fragrance, about 1 minute. Add the star anise, cinnamon, and chilis. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Pour in the shaoxing wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to release the brown bits. Then add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to mix well.
• Add the browned pork back back to the pan, flipping once to coat the pork with the seasonings. Add the white pepper and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Braise, covered, for 1 to 1.5 hours, flipping occasionally, until the pork turns tender but not to a degree that it falls apart.
• Once the pork is done, remove the pork from the pan and place it onto a big plate. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent from drying out.
• Add a mesh strainer over a tall cup (or an oil separator), strain the braising liquid and discard all the solid spices. Use a ladle or big spoon to skim the fat off the top and discard (*Footnote 3). Once you’ve removed most of the oil, return the liquid to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat and let the broth reduce until thickened, 10 minutes or so. (*Footnote 4)
• Slice the pork belly into 2.5” (6 cm) pieces and add it to the reduced sauce. Flip a few times to coat the pork, then transfer the pork to a serving plate with the remaining sauce on the side in a small bowl.

Assemble

• Take a bun and add 2 to 3 slices of pork, some pickled shallots, a sprinkle of crushed peanuts, and a few sprigs of cilantro. Drizzle some extra sauce over the filling.

Video

Notes

1. I used thinly sliced slabs, similar to bacon, and braised it for 1 hour. Alternatively you can use a bigger cut and braise it for 1.5 hours or until tender, slice it into bite-size pieces after braising, then coat it with the reduced braising liquid. (see the cooking video for more details on how to use a regular cut of pork belly)
2. I prefer to use my 11” frying pan for this recipe, so all the pork belly pieces can be submerged in the braising liquid. If you use a different cut of pork belly, you might need to use a smaller pan or a dutch oven so the braising liquid can cover most of the pork.
3. Do not pour the discarded oil (mostly pork fat) down your drain. It will solidify in cold water and clog your drain. Pour the oil into a small bowl and let it cool in the fridge until solidified, then throw it into the garbage.
4. Keep an eye on the sauce while reducing it and avoid overcooking. The sauce will thicken further once cooled, so it’s ready once it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. This recipe yields enough filling for 10 gua bao if you stuff 2 pieces of pork in one bun. You should double this recipe if you prefer a slightly meatier result and intend to use 3 pieces of pork per bun and still make 10 buns.
6. Although Chinese pickled mustard greens are commonly used in traditional gua bao recipes, I highly recommend the homemade pickled shallots. They add a more refreshing taste and texture that pair very well with the fatty pork.
7. The nutrition facts are calculated based on 1 of the 6 servings created by this recipe without including the steamed buns. You can refer to my homemade bao bun recipe for that nutrition information.

Nutrition

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