Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 head iceberg lettuce
  • 2 teaspoons mustard powder
  • 9 ounces pork belly
  • 1/2 cup sake
  • 1 cup Japanese soy sauce
  • 1 piece star anise
  • 4 steamed buns (also called “milk-steamed bread”), defrosted and halved
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 cups cold water

Ready In 210 Minutes

Servings: 4

Cooking Instructions

Step 1

  • Place an 11-inch saute pan over high heat.
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Step 2

  • Add the vegetable oil and heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Using tongs, carefully place the fatty side of the pork belly in the pan and cook until it turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the pork belly over and repeat on the other sides until nicely browned all over. Decrease the heat if the oil begins to smoke again.
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  • Length: 2 minutes

Step 3

  • In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the seared pork belly, the cold water, sake, and smashed ginger, and place over high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then decrease the heat; simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
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  • Length: 45 minutes

Step 4

  • Make the braising liquid, combine all the ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan.
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Step 5

  • Drain the pork belly and discard the liquid, then add the pork belly to the braising liquid in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Braise for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork belly is very tender.
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  • Length: 120 minutes

Step 6

  • Transfer the pork belly and braising liquid to a container and refrigerate, uncovered, until cool, then cover and chill overnight.
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Step 7

  • The next day, assemble a steamer on the stove top. You can use a perforated pan, steam basket, or bamboo steamer. Fill the bottom with water, cover, and set over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium once the water comes to a boil.
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Step 8

  • To prepare the garnishes, discard the outer leaves of the iceberg lettuce.
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Step 9

  • Place 3 large leaves in a bowl of cold water along with the cucumber slices. Set aside. (I like to soak cut vegetables in cold water for 10 minutes because it helps them retain their freshness and crispness.)
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  • Length: 10 minutes

Step 10

  • To make the sauce combine 1/2 cup of the chilled braising liquid and the hoisin sauce in a small saucepan and set over high heat. In a bowl, mix the water and cornstarch until smooth. When the sauce just begins to boil, whisk in the cornstarch and cook briefly, just until the sauce begins to thicken. Make sure that it doesn’t thicken too much—the sauce should run in a steady stream when poured. Set aside.
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Step 11

  • To make the mustard sauce, mix the mustard powder and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
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Step 12

  • Remove the pork belly from the remaining braising liquid and cut into 8 slices, each 1/4 inch thick. (You’ll have left-over pork belly after you cut these slices. See below for other uses.)
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Step 13

  • Place the slices in a single layer side by side with the halved buns on a plate small enough to fit in the steamer (don’t put the buns directly on the steamer because they will stick to it). If you have a large steamer you can do this in one batch, if your steamer is smaller, just steam the pork belly and buns in several batches.1
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Step 14

  • Set the plate in the steamer, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft and heated through.1
  • Length: 3 minutes

Step 15

  • While the pork belly and buns are steaming, finish preparing the garnishes by draining the lettuce and cucumber and patting dry with a towel.
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Step 16

  • Cut the lettuce into pieces the size of the steamed buns and stack in 4 small piles. Top each pile with 2 slices of cucumber.1
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Step 17

  • To serve, assemble a braised pork “sandwich” by placing the lettuce, cucumber, and 2 slices of pork belly on half of a bun.
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Step 18

  • Drizzle the sauce over the meat and top with the other half of the bun.
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Step 19

  • Serve the mustard on the side. Repeat for the remaining 3 buns.
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