Continuing with our Food Wars inspired recipes, this is Soma’s Pepper Pork Buns. Unlike the other Food Wars dishes, this one is actually inspired by something I’ve had before!
These pepper pork buns are popular at Taiwanese Night Markets. I remember visiting the Raohe Night Market in Taipei and the pepper bun stall was front and center at the entrance. They had the longest line out of all the stalls.
These buns are traditionally made in something similar to a tandoori oven. The buns are stuck to the wall of the oven to cook just like naan. Chef K and I definitely do not own a tandoori oven; however, Chef K has some amazing stone baking pans. This helped us recreate our own stone oven. If you don’t have stone pans, don’t worry, a regular baking sheet will work too.
Let me tell you the secret to getting that perfect sesame seed crust on the top of your bun. I was trying to sprinkle the sesame seeds on top of each bun, but they weren’t sticking very well.
That’s when Chef K poured a bunch of sesame seeds onto some parchment paper and rolled the pork buns in the sesame seeds. This was definitely the more efficient way to get the sesame crust, otherwise you will be sprinkling all day.
Keep your sesame seeds on your buns, not the floor,
Your favorite alternative chefs, K & T
Pepper Pork Buns
Ingredients
- 13 oz gluten free pizza dough
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chinese 5 spice
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp monkfruit sugar
- 1 cup green onion chopped
- Egg wash
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
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Combine pork, mirin, tamari, sesame oil, 5 spice, white pepper, black pepper, salt, and monkfruit sugar in a bowl. Mix well and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight to marinate.
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Add green onion to the pork mixture when ready to start making the buns.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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Split dough into 8 equal-sized dough balls and lay them out on parchment paper or a lightly floured surface.
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Flatten or roll the dough balls into 5-inch wide circles.
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Spoon pork mixture into the center of each dough circle. Gather up the edges and pinch shut to form your pork bun.
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Beat the egg to create an egg wash, then brush each bun.
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Pour sesame seeds on parchment paper. Roll the top of each bun in the sesame seeds to make a sesame seed crust. Place buns on a baking sheet.
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Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until pork is cooked through.