How to make Jeremy Pang's black pepper and short rib bao buns

Put Jeremy Pang’s bao dough recipe to good use with this classic filling

His bao kits teach people to make these buns in just eight steps (Kris Kirkham)

Black pepper glazed short rib bao

Bao, burgers and sliders have been setting food trends around the world for years now. We tried a version of this slider in a new organic restaurant called Sohofama in Hong Kong, which seems to be leading the way in urban farming and healthier cooking styles while still managing to maintain the best part of traditional Chinese cooking techniques to create delicious dishes like this.

When cooking this short rib bao, feel free to try out the different folds – the hirata bun fold or burger bao fold will both work well with the slow-cooked short rib. Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to make your bao dough and preferred bao shapes, steaming them just before you finish off the tender meat.

Serves 4

4 beef short ribs, separated
½ a portion of bao dough, ready to make 8-10 steamed hirata buns or burger bao

The poaching liquid

1 star anise
1 small cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
½  tsp salt
1l water

The glaze

3 tbsp jarred Chinese black pepper sauce (available in Chinese supermarkets)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tsp sugar

Place the short ribs in a large saucepan and add all the poaching liquid ingredients. Bring to the boil on a high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer. Poach the beef ribs on a low heat for 3 hours, until the meat starts to fall off the bone but still keeps its shape.

While the meat is cooking, make your bao buns if you haven’t made them beforehand. Mix the glaze ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Once the ribs have been poached, remove them from the poaching liquid and carefully remove the bones, leaving the meat itself whole and intact as much as possible.

Cut each long piece of meat in half vertically, in order to make more reasonably sized portions that will fit well into the steamed buns. Put the pieces of meat into the bowl of glaze and gently coat them, using a spoon to baste on all surfaces and sides.

Just before you finish glazing the meat, start steaming your bao buns. Char each side of the meat under a hot grill (minimum 230C) on a lined baking tray or unlined rack, or finish directly on the barbecue. Serve one piece of short rib to one steamed bun for ease of eating (with only moderate gluttony), along with some pickles or salad and condiments on the side.

Hong Kong Diner by Jeremy Pang (Quadrille, £15) Photography Kris Kirkham