The Meatwave

A couple weeks ago I basked in a personal Texas-style pork belly achievement. I also mentioned that pork belly rarely stands out to me in smoke joints due to its lackluster flavor when compared to the super beefy beef ribs and briskets that serve as better ordering options. The real attraction to the pork belly for me is its immense amount of soft, luscious fat that gives it a texture unlike any other smoked meat. So in thinking of a way to best feature smoked pork belly's top trait while enhancing its overall flavor, I came up with these smoked belly buns, which just so happen would make for an excellent New Year's celebration treat.

The pork that filled these buns was the exact same Texas-style belly that I chronicled in depth recently. So I won't go into a complete repeat of the detail of the process, but for a quick run down, this recipe started out with a couple pieces of boneless pork belly that I coated in a salt and pepper rub that slightly favored the coarse black pepper in order to give it that sharp Texas bite.

I then smoked the belly at 225°F until its internal temperature reached 203°F and it had a little jiggle when handled, which took a little over seven hours total.

At this point I removed the pork from the smoker, wrapped each piece in plastic wrap, and stored them in the Cambro until I was ready to serve, which I admittedly let rest a bit too long that day—a couple hours is ideal—allowing the pork cool more than I wanted.

To make the belly into buns, the first step was procuring some Chinese buns at the Asian market—I've yet to try making these myself as I've always been told the payoff doesn't outweigh the convenience of buying frozen. I set up a steamer over my wok and steamed the buns until they were warmed and soft throughout, but if your short a steamer, they can also be heated in the microwave under damp paper towels.

After the buns were ready, I cut the belly into 1/2-inch slices and cut those slices in half to make a square that fit nicely into the small buns. I then topped each piece of belly with just a few pickled red onions and dollop of barbecue sauce.

Although minimal, this seemed to be a pretty perfect combination to enhance the flavor of the belly in a way that continued to let its meatiness and peppery bark shine through. The tender fat melded with the soft bun nicely, while the pickled onions lent a nice crunch along with a contrasting tartness that cut through the fattiness a bit. While Texas smoked meats generally don't require any barbecue sauce, I think it was a great addition here to add a touch of sweetness, a role usually played by hoisin in more traditional Chinese buns. While I was mighty proud of my pork belly in on its own, these buns went the extra mile in making that smoky meat something really special, transforming this sometimes ho hum cut into something that can hold its own against its more bold, beefy brethren.

Published on Thu Dec 29, 2016 by Joshua Bousel

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