Name: Char Siu Bao Filling Recipe {Chinese BBQ Pork Bun}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb pork, pork belly, butt or shoulder, cut into small chunks; 1 green onion stalk; 2 cups of water, for braising; 1 tbsp arrowroot flour, as wholesome superfood starch; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce, or dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce, or dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp sugar in the raw, brown sugar, or cane sugar; 1 tsp red yeast rice powder, freshly ground; 1/4 tsp ginger powder; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/8 tsp star anise; 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder; 1/8 tsp bay leaf powder, freshly ground, optional

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The secrets of a tasty Char Siu Bao, other than the fluffy bun wrappers, are a juicy and delicious BBQ pork filling. This can be accomplished by braising the pork from scratch. Either chopped pork belly or butt/shoulder works well. Once you start to do this, you will never go back to using previously cooked Chinese BBQ Pork as the bun filling.

homemade from scratch Char Siu Bao filling recipe

Why should I use the scratch Char Siu Bao filling?

Homemade from scratch Chinese BBQ Pork Bun filling is so much tastier, flavorful, and most importantly, juicier. Lu Rou Sauce {Braised Pork Belly Sauce} is so delicious for the same reason. When you chop the pork belly into mini chunks, marinate them first and then braise with sauces, it brings out all the yumminess of the pork.

How to make Chinese BBQ Pork Bun Filling from scratch?

First is to cut pork belly or pork butt/shoulder into mini pork chunks

For pork, either pork belly, butt or shoulder will do. The pork needs some fat content, which makes the filling juicier. Cut the pork across the grain into small cubes, and then marinate them with a splash of Shaoxing wine and naturally aged soy sauce.

Ingredients to make Char Siu Bao Filling from scratch

Secondly, braise the mini pork chunks for Char Siu Bao filling

Whisk naturally aged soy sauce, light soy sauce, and honey together to create a braising sauce base. Then add a bit of sugar and tasty & healthy spices such as ginger powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaf powder.

The beautiful bright red color is coming from a traditional ancient Chinese red yeast rice (Hong Qu Mi 红曲米}. It is an all-natural wholesome ingredient I use as a healthy food red color. I use it to make iconic food such as Hong Shao Rou {Red Braised Pork} or Red Velvet Cake.

A spice grinder is indeed a handy kitchen appliance. I use it to grind the wholesome spices into powder.

red yeast rice and freshly ground red yeast rice

Last but not least is to thicken the sauce and store it overnight in the fridge

Toward the end of the braising when the pork is fully cooked, we need to use starch to thicken the sauce and velvet the pork mini chunks. Arrowroot flour is my go-to starch, which is also a superfood itself. Whisk the arrowroot flour with a cup of water together and pour over the pork. Immediately use a silicone spatula to turn and fold until the whole thing is bubbling and velveting.

cook min pork chunks for Char Siu Bao filling

If you can, I highly recommend you let the freshly braised mini pork chunks rest in the refrigerator overnight. The pork and juice will then become jello-like. This way, you can easily wrap the jello-like BBQ pork filling inside the bun. When we steam the bun, the pork filling juice melts which creates this mouth-watering BBQ Pork Bun.

Char Siu Bao {Chinese BBQ Pork Bun} Recipe

Char Siu Bao Filling Recipe {Chinese BBQ Pork Bun}

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Braise pork mini chunks using homemade Char Siu Sauce make such a tasty & juicy Char Siu Bao Filling.

Ingredients

1 lb pork, pork belly, butt or shoulder, cut into small chunks
1 green onion stalk
2 cups of water, for braising
1 tbsp arrowroot flour, as wholesome superfood starch

For Marinate the Pork:

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce, or dark soy sauce

For Char Siu Braising Sauce:

1 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce, or dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sugar in the raw, brown sugar, or cane sugar
1 tsp red yeast rice powder, freshly ground
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp star anise
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
1/8 tsp bay leaf powder, freshly ground, optional

Instructions

For pork, either pork belly, butt or shoulder will do. The pork needs some fat content, which makes the filling juicier. Cut the pork across the grain into small cubes. Add the small pork chunks to a mixing bowl.
Add 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine and 1 tbsp naturally aged soy sauce to the mixing bowl. Use a pair of bamboo spatulas to toss and mix well. Add the spices (red yeast rice powder, ginger powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, star anise and bay leaf powder), toss and mix well again.
Add everything except for the sugar under "For Braising Char Siu" to a small bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Cut green onion into small pieces. Add the 1 tbsp arrowroot flour to 1 cup of water in the small mixing bowl. Whisk to blend and set it aside.
Turn the heat to medium-high and heat a hard anodized frying pan for 1 minute. Add the green onion and the marinated pork, and use the pair of bamboo spatulas to turn and toss for about 2 minutes.
Sprinkle the sugar over the pork, continue to turn and stir for about 30 seconds and then pour the braising sauce over the pork in a circular motion. Continue to turner to fold and turn for another 30 seconds or so.
Pour the braising sauce into the pan, fold, and mix until it is bubbling., about 30 seconds.
Add 1 cup of water to the pan around the edge, fold the water to the pork, wait for it to reach a boil, and then turn the heat to low and cook for 5-8 minutes, or the water is about to disappear.
Quickly re-whisk the arrowroot flour & water mixture to blend and then pour over the pork in the pan. Turn the heat back to medium-high, Immediately fold & turn non-stop using the silicone spatula, or till the juice bubbles, thickens and the pork is velveting. This takes about 1 -2 minutes.
Wait until the pork cools down to room temperature and then add to a glass air-tight container and store in the fridge overnight to use the following day.
Great. You are now ready to wrap the mouth-watering Char Siu Bao {Chinese BBQ Pork Buns}.