Taiwanese street food - Gua Bao 刈包

One of my favorite Taiwanese street food is this - 刈包 Gua Bao. Although there are more and more Taiwanese street food stores and restaurants in Singapore, but not many serve this street food. Since this month AB theme is Bao, I shall recreate this bao and bring back the taste I have been craving.

Gua bao in my interpretation is 扣肉包 with 咸菜 and 花生。This combi actually add crisp, taste and texture to the normal 扣肉包, and make this Bao so irresistible and unforgettable.
I adopted this 扣肉 recipe for the pork(I used lean meat as it is healthier, in Taiwan you can also choose lean meat to go with this Bao). And used back my previous recipe for Bao. I did a short cut for the 咸菜 and grounded peanut: bought 咸菜 in a bottle and ready made ground peanut.

扣肉recipe:
Ingredients:
1 pack of lean pork meat (sliced)
1 tsp Hua Diao wine
1 tbsp ginger, onion, garlic (diced)
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp Five spice powder
2 small cube of rock sugar
Some pepper

Method:
1. Fry ginger and garlic till fragrant. Add onion and fry till golden brown.
2. Add sliced pork, fry till cooked.
3. Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, wine, five spice powder, rock sugar, pepper and stir fry.
4. Add some water. Turn to high heat and wait to boil.
5. Turn to low heat and simmer for 1 hour. Set aside.

Bao Skin Ingredients: (about 10 Bao)
175 gm bao flour sifted with 1/2 tsp double action baking powder
Mix together - 100 ml lukewarm water, 20 gm caster sugar and 1/8 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tbsp shortening

Method:
1. Add yeast to the water mixture. Let yeast rest and foam up abit before adding flour. Mix well.
2. Knead to form dough and add shortening and continue to knead till smooth and shiny.
3. Let dough rise to double the size, about 1/2 to 1 hour. Remove dough to a floured surface, punch down dough and divide into equal portions. Shape into oval shape and fold slightly into half.
4. Leave to proof for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Steam over high heat for 10 minutes. Off heat and leave paus for a further 3 minutes before uncovering to cool on rack. This is to prevent wrinkle, rough skin.

6. Open the Bao skin, fill with cooked lean meat and top with 咸菜 and ground peanut. Ready to serve.

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #31 - Bao Ho-Chiak (May 2013) hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders.