This meal is sure to please - rich, melt in your mouth pork belly with crispy, crackly skin is a crowd pleasure for sure and a little goes a long way! I usually end up with plenty left over to use in fried rice, ramen, or a potato hash the next day.

Steam buns are amazing. A bread that you only need to proof once and comes out fluffy and light? Yes please. I advise making this dough in a stand mixer because they need to be kneaded for a long time to get the right texture and it gets exhausting! I'm no expert on Chinese food so this recipe is based on one by Wei Guo's Red Spice Kitchen Mantou.  

To go alongside this dish we make a super simple quick pickle using OlyKraut's Spicy Garlic Brine and vinegar. This pickle is ready after just 15 minutes in the brine but can be kept in the refrigerator for another couple days. 

And to set the whole meal off we add a healthy serving of OlyKraut Spicy Garlic Sauerkraut to add some tang and spice. Spicy Garlic Kraut has garlic, ginger, and chiles and is very inspired by Korean kimchi. We use shredded green cabbage which makes it more sauerkraut like in consistency, and some pretty spicy chills so it really has a kick!

Roasted Pork Belly

2 lb slab of pork belly

salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450F
2. Pat dry the pork belly down with a paper towel.
3. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the pork in a crosshatch pattern, making sure not to cut too deeply into the meat. This will help the skin crisp up and render out some of the fat.

1. Place pork into a roasting pan and salt and pepper both sides.
2. Cook at 450F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300F and cook an additional 2 hours. Keep an eye on it and if the rendered fat starts to smoke pour it off into a jar. 
3. Once the skin is crispy and the juices are clear, take out of the oven and rest 15 minutes. 

1. Slice against the grain and top with a sauce of your choice. We used Char Siu Chinese BBQ sauce but you could use hoisin sauce or make your own. 

Quick Brine Pickles

1/2 cucumber

1/4 red onion

1/4 cup OlyKraut Spicy Garlic Brine (or another flavor)

1/4 cup live apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1. Peel your cucumber and cut it into 1/2 inch chunks. 
2. Slice your red onion lengthways and then cut those pieces into inch long pieces.
3. Mix brine, vinegar, and salt together in a medium bowl.
4. Add cucumbers and onions into the pickling liquid and let sit for at least 15 minutes. 

Steam Buns

250 g all-purpose flour

1 tsp dry yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

130 mL of lukewarm water

vegetable oil for oiling paper

1. Measure out your ingredients into a mixer bowl. 
2. Mix on low for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is very smooth.
3. Cut dough into 6 even sized pieces. 

1. Shape each piece into a smooth bun by gathering and tucking the dough underneath. 
2. Very lightly oil 6 squares of parchment paper and arrange in steamer basket, or lightly oil the steamer basket itself, and place buns to rest. Don't crowd them, they are going to double in size. 
3. Proof the buns in a warmish place for 30 minutes. 
4. Place steamer basket over a pan with cold water, making sure the steamer isn't sitting in the water. 
5. Cook over medium high heat. Once you see steam coming out set a timer for 10 minutes.

Spicy Garlic Sauerkraut

Heap a pile onto your plate and enjoy!