Have you tried Chinese-style hamburgers? If not, don‘t miss out on these delicious braised pork belly buns by following my detailed recipe below. This recipe teaches you how to make melty, umami pork belly sandwiched in a bread bun (with a bonus side dish recipe of spice-packed stew and boiled eggs).
What Is Rou Jia Mo Or Chinese Hamburger?
Rou Jia Mo (meat in a bun) is also known as braised pork belly buns or Chinese hamburgers. It is a staple in Shaanxi province and a common street food dish. Basically, you have the savory, juicy meat that is cooked in rock sugar for a caramel, sticky taste.
The pork belly is cooked in a stew with several spices and seasonings, such as dark soy sauce, green onions, ginger, Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, and bay leaves. To make the most of the stew, I also added boiled eggs and let it simmer for 30 minutes to fully absorb the flavors. After simmering, simply take out the pork belly and finely chop it with green peppers and fresh coriander.
In this recipe, you will also make your own bread bun. The ingredients used here are similar to those used in most bao buns, such as beef bao bun, char siu bao, chicken bao bun, and sugar bun. The only difference is instead of steaming the dough, it is cooked in the pan.
You will need yeast, plain flour, white sugar, and warm water. The dough is kneaded, rested, shaped, and cooked in the pan. If you like more bun, sandwich, or burger recipes, check out these dishes:
- Brown Sugar Bun (Mantou)
- Bunny Steamed Buns
- Steamed Salted Egg Yolk Buns (Liu Sha Bao/流沙包)
- Red Bean Paste Buns
- Black Sesame Steamed Buns
- Chinese Longevity Peach Buns (Steamed Shoutao Bao)
- All-Natural Purple Sweet Potato Bun
- Steamed Egg Custard Buns (Nai Wong Bao)
- Corn And Pork Floss Sandwiches For Breakfast
- Ground Beef Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Easy Jian Bing (Chinese Breakfast Crepe)
- Crispy Pork Belly (Burger)
All About The Braised Pork Belly Filling
Here are some tips on how to prepare and substitute an ingredient:
Pork belly stew
- Pork belly: Use pork belly in slabs or thin strips. Fresh pork belly should have whitish pork fat, not gray or yellow. Cut it into even slices to cook consistently in the pan with the rock sugar. Before frying, this should be blanched for 3 minutes to remove dirt and impurities. If you are not into pork, you can swap it with beef or chicken strips. If you are going for a plant-based option, use tofu strips, soy meat strips, or plant-based pork.
- Oil: Oil is needed to cook and melt the rock sugar in the pan. Use olive, avocado, sesame, or safflower oil for a healthier option. If you want a neutral taste, go for peanut, soybean, or vegetable oil.
- Rock Sugar: Rock sugar is an excellent sweetener for caramelizing and sweetening pork belly strips. It is actually less sweet than white or brown sugar. If you don’t have rock sugar, swap it with regular white or brown sugar.
- Dark soy sauce: Dark soy sauce deepens the color of the pork belly. It is a go-to ingredient for braising and marinating meat to thicken and darken the sauce and meat. Moreover, it lends an umami and sweet taste. You can swap it with mushroom sauce, double black soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or more oyster sauce and adjust it to taste. Light soy sauce can also be used as an alternative, but it won’t make the dish as dark as dark soy sauce.
- Green onion: Green onions or scallions lend the sauce a mild, sweet, oniony taste. I used both the green and white parts. You can swap green onions with spring onions or chives. As for the flavor profile, spring onions are sweet and pungent, whereas chives are light with a mild, garlicky taste.
- Ginger: Slices of ginger impart a spicy, warm, citrusy taste. You can swap fresh ginger with ground ginger using 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger for every 1 tbsp of fresh ginger.
- Sichuan peppercorn: Make it tingling and numbing with Sichuan peppercorn. Moreover, it adds a slightly floral and lemon-like taste. You can swap it with black pepper or white pepper powder, but the effect won’t be the same. My recommendation is to get this from the spice section of your local grocery store or online market, such as Amazon.
- Star anise: Star anise is a star-shaped spice that lends a warm, woody, and licorice-like taste. The best alternatives for star anise are anise seeds, Chinese five spice, allspice, fennel seeds, and cloves. Learn more about star anise alternatives with my guide, The Best Star Anise Substitute.
- Bay leaves: Bay leaves are great for their thyme and oregano flavors. The best replacements for bay leaves are dried oregano, thyme, and basil.
- Cinnamon sticks: Cinnamon sticks make the sauce woody, spicy, and citrusy. Swap this with Chinese five-spice powder, nutmeg, Allspice, or cloves if needed.
- Water: Fill the pot with enough water to submerge the pork belly in the seasonings and spices. In addition to water, you can add more flavor using stock, bouillon powder, or cubes.
- Boiled eggs: Boiled eggs: Use regular chicken eggs or quail eggs. Boil the eggs in water for about 13 minutes, then peel the shells. Add the boiled eggs to the pork belly for braising. Once cooked, chop the eggs and mix them with the pork belly as a filling.
- Salt: Salt is a universal flavor enhancer that brings out the flavors of all the seasonings. Use any type of salt, such as sea salt, pink salt, and kosher salt.
- Bouillon powder: Bouillon powder is another flavor enhancer, but is optional if you prefer. You can use any type of bouillon powder, such as chicken and vegetable powder.
- MSG (optional): MSG is known for its savory, umami contribution. It is considered safe to consume in very small amounts. Alternatively, you can omit this if you prefer not to use MSG and go for these flavor boosters:
- Light soy sauce
- Seasoning sauce
- Chinese five-spice powder
- More bouillon powder
Filling
- Stewed pork belly and eggs: After simmering, remove the pork belly and eggs from the stew. Chop them into small pieces to use as your filling.
- Green peppers: To accompany your chopped pork belly, finely chop some green peppers for a sweet crispness. You can also use red or yellow bell peppers. If you like it spicy, add some chopped chili peppers, too.
- Coriander: I love a tasty herb like fresh coriander. It has a soapy taste but with a delightful tart and lemony taste. You can swap fresh coriander with other chopped herbs or vegetables, such as dill, parsley, mint, scallion, cilantro, or basil
Making The Bread Bun
Are you new to making buns? Then don’t skip this tip section. Here I share how to make buns with essential ingredients.
What You Need:
- Yeast: Yeast is essential in making the buns rise during the resting step. If you want to mix the yeast directly with the rest of the dough ingredients, use instant yeast, quick rise, or fast rising yeast. As for other types of yeast, it may require mixing with warm water first before adding to the flour.
- Sugar: Sugar goes hand in hand with yeast. It helps the yeast ferment faster and more efficiently since the yeast feeds on sugar. The sugar is converted into carbon dioxide and ethanol, the two elements that are essential in making the bun rise. I recommend using granulated white sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour: I always use all-purpose flour to make various buns, such as Bunny Steamed Buns, Piggy Buns, and Peach Buns. It provides a white base and soft texture. Avoid using special flour types like whole wheat flour, rice flour, or glutinous rice flour, as these will result in a different texture.
- Warm water: It should be at a temperature of about 110°F and below. Warm water is ideal for a smoother dough for kneading. Make sure the temperature is below 120°F. This hot temperature will kill the yeast. If the yeast is killed, it will not activate the fermentation process. Without the fermentation process, the dough will not rise and give you a flat bun.
Ingredients And Kitchen Tools To Prepare
Kitchen Tools
- Bowl (to mix and knead the dough)
- Kitchen weighing scale (to measure accurately)
- Kitchen thermometer (to measure the water temperature)
- Plastic wrap
- Non-stick pot with cover
- Spatula
- Dough cutter
- Rolling pin
- Non-stick pan (flat bottom)
- Knife
Ingredients
Bun
- 5 grams of yeast
- 500 grams of plain flour
- 5 grams of white sugar
- 260 grams of warm water
Stew
- 500g of pork belly
- 2 tbsp of oil
- 10g of rock sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
- 5g of chopped green onions
- 3 slices of ginger
- 3g of Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 pieces of star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 5g of cinnamon
- Water (enough to submerge the pork belly)
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of MSG (optional)
Filling
- Stewed pork belly and eggs (taken from the stew)
- 1-2 finely chopped green peppers
- 1 cup of finely chopped coriander
Instructions To Make Rou Jia Mo 肉夹馍
Make the dough, stew the ingredients, and prepare the filling–these are the main steps to remember when making rou jia mo. The final part is simply slicing the bun in half, filling it with the pork belly stuffing, and digging into it! Watch each step closely with my 1-minute tutorial video on Instagram or TikTok.
So, have you tried making rou jia mo? Did this Chinese hamburger get a stamp of approval? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section with the tag @kitchenmisadventures.
- Make the dough: In a bowl, mix yeast, plain flour, white sugar, and warm water. Mix everything into a dough and knead until smooth. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not skip the resting step. Resting is key to letting the gluten relax and hydrate, making it better able to hold its shape. Moreover, it gives the yeast time to ferment and let the dough rise.
- Blanch the pork belly: Meanwhile, cut the pork belly into small pieces and blanch them to remove any impurities. Begin the cooking process by immersing them in cold water. Blanch for 3 minutes and scoop out any scum floating. Then, remove them from the pot and drain well.
- Stir-fry the pork belly: Then, heat oil in a pan and add rock sugar. Stir-fry until it caramelizes. Next, add the pork belly and stir-fry until brown and glazed.
- Stew the pork belly: Add dark soy sauce, chopped green onions, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Pour in water until the pork belly is submerged.
- Simmer: Simmer for 20 minutes, then add cooked eggs, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and MSG if you’re using it. Cover and stew over low heat for 30 minutes. I suggest cooking the pork belly ahead of time and letting it sit in the stew overnight to fully absorb the flavors.
- Knead and shape the dough: While simmering, knead the dough once more to remove air bubbles. Divide it into 8 portions and shape each into a round ball. Take one portion and roll it out into a thin oblong sheet. Fold it in half, then roll it up starting from one end. Once rolled into a spiral, flatten it with your hand and roll it with a rolling pin. This should give you flat discs.
- Cook the bun: Heat a non-stick pan and cook the bun until both sides have golden brown marks.
- Make the filling: Take out the pork belly and eggs from the stew and finely chop them with green peppers and coriander.
- Assemble: Slice the bun in half without completely cutting through. Stuff it with the juicy filling, and serve it with a spoonful of juicy soup made from the stew.
Rou Jia Mo (Chinese Hamburger/Braised Pork Belly Buns)
Have you tried Chinese-style hamburgers? If not, don't miss out on these delicious braised pork belly buns by following my detailed recipe below. This recipe teaches you how to make melty, umami pork belly sandwiched in a bread bun (with a bonus side dish recipe of spice-packed stew and boiled eggs).Ingredients
Bun
- 5 grams of yeast
- 500 grams of plain flour
- 5 grams of white sugar
- 260 grams of warm water
Stew
- 500 g of pork belly
- 2 tbsp of oil
- 10 g of rock sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
- 5 g of chopped green onions
- 3 slices of ginger
- 3 g of Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 pieces of star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 g of cinnamon
- Water enough to submerge the pork belly
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of MSG optional
Filling
- Stewed pork belly and eggs taken from the stew
- 1-2 finely chopped green peppers
- 1 cup of finely chopped coriander
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a bowl, mix yeast, plain flour, white sugar, and warm water. Mix everything into a dough and knead until smooth. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. Do not skip the resting step. Resting is key to letting the gluten relax and hydrate, making it better able to hold its shape. Moreover, it gives the yeast time to ferment and let the dough rise.
- Blanch the pork belly: Meanwhile, cut the pork belly into small pieces and blanch them to remove any impurities. Begin the cooking process by immersing them in cold water. Blanch for 3 minutes and scoop out any scum floating. Then, remove them from the pot and drain well.
- Stir-fry the pork belly: Then, heat oil in a pan and add rock sugar. Stir-fry until it caramelizes. Next, add the pork belly and stir-fry until brown and glazed.
- Stew the pork belly: Add dark soy sauce, chopped green onions, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaf, and cinnamon. Pour in water until the pork belly is submerged.
- Simmer: Simmer for 20 minutes, then add cooked eggs, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and MSG if you're using it. Cover and stew over low heat for 30 minutes. I suggest cooking the pork belly ahead of time and letting it sit in the stew overnight to fully absorb the flavors.
- Knead and shape the dough: While simmering, knead the dough once more to remove air bubbles. Divide it into 8 portions and shape each into a round ball. Take one portion and roll it out into a thin oblong sheet. Fold it in half, then roll it up starting from one end. Once rolled into a spiral, flatten it with your hand and roll it with a rolling pin. This should give you flat discs.
- Cook the bun: Heat a non-stick pan and cook the bun until both sides have golden brown marks.
- Make the filling: Take out the pork belly and eggs from the stew and finely chop them with green peppers and coriander.
- Assemble: Slice the bun in half without completely cutting through. Stuff it with the juicy filling, and serve it with a spoonful of juicy soup made from the stew.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 1311kcalCarbohydrates: 103gProtein: 35gFat: 83gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 39gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 370mgSodium: 859mgPotassium: 517mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 693IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 8mgTried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
