Delicious Sticky Pork Bao Buns with Quick Pickled Carrots and Quick Pickled Cucumbers. Perfect as a snack or a tasty meal. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
If you have been following me on my Instagram Stories, you may have noticed that I like to make homemade steamed buns for dinner … quite often!
When my children start to complain that they are eating too much rice or too many noodles, I know that it is time to start changing things up a bit, and bao buns can be a good alternative for many Asian dishes.
The best side dishes to serve with bao buns are cucumber salad, steamed dumplings, spring rolls, edamame, sauteed mushrooms, fish cake ramen, potstickers, kimchi pancakes, lo mein, tsuyu sauce, cream cheese gravy, egg drop soup, char siu pork, pickled vegetables, fried rice, wonton soup, crispy tofu, and bok choy.
How to Make Quick Pickled Carrots
Asian cuisine is often about balancing flavours, namely sweet, salty and sour elements.
Pickled carrots are commonly used in Vietnamese cuisine to add a sour element and to balance any salty flavours. They also add a nice crunchy texture.
You will often find pickled carrots served in a Vietnamese Banh Mi, or even as a substantial garnish to Vietnamese Grilled Pork Chops.
A traditional pickling liquid requires at least overnight to work its magic, but when time is short, I like to make Quick Pickled Carrots. For this, I find a 2:1 ratio of vinegar to sugar just right for my tastes, but you can adjust the ratio to your own liking.
The carrots should be cut into thin matchsticks (or “julienned”), and this is easiest done using either a mandoline slicer or with a julienne peeler.
How to Make Steamed Bao Buns
Most Asian grocers stock plain steamed bao buns in the freezer section, which means that you can be minutes away from a delicious meal at any time.
But if ready-made steamed buns are not available where you live, or you happen to love a spot of bread-making, I have an easy recipe for bao buns which you can make from scratch. The results are perfectly soft and fluffy bao buns – you might never buy them from the shops again!
Click here for my recipe for bao buns with step-by-step photos.
Perfect Homemade Pork Belly Bao Buns (2 Ways)
FAQ
What do you eat pork buns with?
What to serve with char siu buns?
What is a good side dish for pork buns?
The dish is finished with a simple sesame sauce made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil. This sauce is flavorful and slightly sweet, making it the perfect accompaniment to your pork buns. Coleslaw is a classic side dish that can be made with various ingredients. This tangy coleslaw recipe is perfect for serving with pork buns.
Can one eat pork?
A cooked, medium pork cutlet or steak provides 239 calories, 34 grams protein, 10 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 697 milligrams sodium, and 0 grams carbohydrate, if you eat only the lean part of the steak. Pork contains many of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) found in beef and it is high in protein, but can be lower in fat than beef—depending on cut and preparation. Meat from any kind of mammal, including pork, can cause an allergic reaction (and some people who are allergic to mammalian meat also react to poultry).
What sauce goes with pork buns?
The noodles are cooked in soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili oil. This gives them a great flavor and a bit of heat. The dish is finished with a simple sesame sauce made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil. This sauce is flavorful and slightly sweet, making it the perfect accompaniment to your pork buns.
What are homemade Chinese pork buns?
Homemade Chinese Pork Buns are truly just like the ones you swipe off the dim sum trolleys. These will blow your mind! Sunday morning Yum Cha is almost a religious ritual here in Sydney. Large groups descend upon vast restaurants from mid morning, with steaming trolleys piled high with dumplings and buns rattling around the room.