Steamed buns with caramelised pork

Delicious steamed buns with crispy fried shallots, pickled cucumber and hoisin sauce

Ingredients

2 cloves	Crushed garlic
4 Tbsp	Fish sauce
6 Tbsp	Soft brown sugar
1 Tbsp	Sushi vinegar
2 Tbsp	Water, cold
1 pinch	Sea salt
400 g	Pork, free-range pork fillet, thinly sliced (Main)
2 Tbsp	Canola oil
4 Tbsp	Hoisin sauce
1 serving	Toasted sesame seeds
4	Asian steamed buns
1 serving	Chilli sauce, hot Sriracha

Quick pickled cucumber

½ Tbsp	Caster sugar
2 Tbsp	Sushi vinegar
1 tsp	Toasted sesame oil
1 pinch	Sea salt
1 medium	Chilli, thinly sliced
⅓	Telegraph cucumbers, thinly sliced

Directions

Pork buns

1. In a jar, place the garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, water and salt and shake until all the ingredients have combined and the sugar has dissolved.
2. Pour half the mixture onto the pork, reserving the second half, and toss to coat the pork. Cover and set aside in the fridge to marinate for 25 minutes.
3. While the pork is marinating, prepare the crispy fried shallots and pickled cucumber (see below).
4. To cook the pork, in a small saucepan, heat up 1 Tbsp of the canola oil over a medium heat.
5. Pour in the second half of the marinade and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the sauce starts to thicken and you can smell the sugar starting to caramelise. Set aside.
6. Heat up 1 Tbsp of the canola oil in medium fry pan on a medium high heat. Fry about 4 pork slices at a time for 1-1½ minutes on each side or until golden (make sure you don't over cook the pork slices as they can become tough if cooked for too long).
7. Microwave the steamed buns for 10 seconds at a time until heated through.
8. Spread over 1 Tbsp of the hoisin sauce on the bottom half of each bun and top with the pickled cucumber and chilli slices, making sure you shake off the excess moisture so that your buns don't get soggy.
9. Dip the pork slices in the caramelised sauce and place about 3 slices in each bun on top of the cucumber slices.
10. Sprinkle over the crispy fried shallots and toasted sesame seeds and serve with your desired amount of chilli sauce on the side.

Quick pickled cucumber

1. Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and salt together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add the chilli and cucumber slices and toss to coat.

Crispy fried shallots

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium high heat until it reaches 135C on a deep-frying thermometer.
2. While the oil is heating up, place a few paper towels on a plate or chopping board, which will soak up some of the oil once the shallots are fried.
3. Once the oil is heated, sprinkle over a few pinches of the shallot slices (you will have to fry them in about 5 batches) and fry the shallots until a golden colour.
4. Make sure they don't get too brown as they can become a bit bitter if fried for too long.
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shallot slices from the hot oil and transfer onto the paper towels.
6. Repeat with the remaining shallot slices.

*You can buy Asian steamed buns and sriracha hot chilli sauce from the Dahua Asian supermarket at 79-83 Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland, or Asian supermarkets.