Momofuku Pork Buns

You start with something like this....

...which I have to admit is pretty scary for me. Because 1) I almost never buy meat, and when I do, it doesn't look like this. It is rather an understated chicken breast or a pound of ground lamb. You know, the kind of meat which doesn't remind you too much of the animal that has been sacrificed for your caloric intake (and eating pleasure.) The woman weighing it out for me at the counter told me that it was enough for 5 "normal" eaters, at which point you wonder what the meat consumption per capita in Germany is. And then you choose not to wonder. Anyway, this 1.xx kilos of pork was put in the fridge with salt and sugar coating overnight and then roasted for about 3 hours on Sunday morning. I was following David Chang's famous Pork Bun recipe. I have heard that some people are thinking about creating a new religion around these famous sandwiches.

In addition to the PORK, if you are doing things correctly, you are also mixing up the dough for the buns, letting it rest, chopping it up, rolling it out, steaming it. All 50 of them per recipe. (David explains they freeze well and I am taking his word for it.)

The rest is very straightforward. Actually, the whole process is straightforward, just takes some time. Sliver some chives, pickle some cucumbers and radishes, buy some hoisin sauce and kimchi and whatever other pickles or spicy sauces you wanna add into the mix...and done.

Serve it up to hungry guests.

This is what the finished product looks like, although...this was not one of mine. I stole this photo from the internet - you will find literally thousands of photos

(See)

of this sandwich (remember - religion) and variations of it. I was just running around last night and not feeling like being übergeek and taking photos.



But what i can tell you:
1) they were yummy - and I managed to buy pork belly without much fat -just a layer on top, much of which I removed, so the meat was quite lean in the end. I am sure they would have been even better with layers of fat, but no one at the table would have been eating them quite so voraciously.
2) Yes, there are plenty of leftovers, despite that meat salesperson's assurances that the 1.xx kilos of meat would serve 5 eaters (we had 7).
3) yes, I would make them again, but might veer more towards peking duck style...although the kimchi etc. was very nice...

Come on over tonight and I have dinner for you....