Chinese Hamburger, Rou Jia Mo 肉夹馍
User Reviews
4.9
76 reviews
Excellent
Chinese Hamburger, Rou Jia Mo 肉夹馍
Report
Chinese Hamburger, Rou Jia Mo, features tender pork belly simmered for hours with a blend of aromatic spices including star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorn, and Shaoxing wine, creating richly flavored, fork-tender meat. The pork is served in homemade wheat buns made from a simple dough of flour, yeast, salt, and water. This traditional preparation produces a savory filling that is juicy and fragrant, enclosed in a soft, slightly chewy bun that completes the iconic Chinese street food experience.
Description
The pork belly is initially boiled briefly to remove impurities, rinsed, then returned to a clean pot and simmered gently for 90 minutes to 2 hours with Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, light and dark soy sauces, scallions, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, black cardamom, galangal, Sichuan peppercorn, and bay leaves. This slow simmering infuses the meat deeply with complex, warm, and slightly sweet aromatic flavors while rendering it fork tender and juicy. Salt is adjusted to taste.
Meanwhile, the buns are prepared from a yeast dough made by mixing all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, salt, and warm water. The dough is kneaded and allowed to rise before being shaped and cooked, resulting in soft, slightly chewy buns that hold the pork filling well.
The finished Rou Jia Mo sandwiches balance the rich, spiced pork with the mild bread, offering a hearty and satisfying meal that reflects traditional Chinese street food techniques and flavors.
Share:
Ingredients
For the meat:
- 2 pounds pork belly
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
- 12 grams rock sugar (or 1 tablespoon granulated sugar)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce light
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 4 scallions (cut in half)
- 3 lices ginger
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 2 pieces galangal (or sand ginger)
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn
- 3 bay leaf
- salt (to taste)
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
For the buns:
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour (by weight, each cup is equivalent to 150 grams)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (about 8 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 1¼ cups water depending on humidity, warm
Instructions
- Keep the pork belly whole, or cut it into large, 4- to 5-inch chunks. Place the pork belly in a medium pot, and fill it with just enough water to cover it. Bring the water to a boil. Once the pork has gone opaque and appears cooked on the outside, shut off the heat, remove the pork from the pot, and rinse it clean under running water. Dump out the water and clean the pot.
- Put the pork belly back in the clean pot, and add 3 cups of water, the Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, scallions, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, black cardamom, galangal, Sichuan peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring everything to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until fork tender. To test it, stick a fork into the meat. It’s done if you can pull the fork out easily. Do not use high heat when simmering to avoid drying out the sauce. Add salt to taste.
- While the pork is simmering, make the buns. To a mixing bowl, add the flour, yeast, and salt. Slowly add the warm water, mixing and kneading until it forms a smooth dough ball. Once a dough ball is formed, knead it for another 10 minutes to build up the gluten in the dough--this will make the buns chewier. You can also use an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment for this. The dough should feel soft and easy to work with. Cover the dough, and let it proof at room temperature for about an hour until it doubles in size.
- After proofing, knead the dough for about 5 minutes to get rid of any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out while you’re shaping the buns.
- To shape the buns, take each dough ball and roll it out into a cigar-like shape. Next, roll it out into a longer and narrower strip, and fold it in half lengthwise. Roll it up into a bundle, with the loose end tucked underneath. Turn it on its side so the swirls are facing up, and press it down with your palm. Now roll it out into a disc about 4 inches in diameter. Repeat these steps for all of the dough balls. Cover the shaped buns with a dry kitchen towel, and let rest for 20 minutes before cooking.
- Pre-heat a flat-bottomed pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the buns in the pan about an inch apart (no oil is necessary). Cover the lid, and let the buns cook for 2 minutes on each side. The heat shouldn’t be too high, or your buns may burn. After cooking the buns for 2 minutes on each side, remove the lid, and cook each side for another minute or so until the entire bun is golden brown.
- To serve, take out the pork, coarsely chop it, and transfer it to a bowl. Mix in the chopped cilantro, and add the sauce from the meat to your desired consistency. Think Asian sloppy joe--you could go really saucy or have a drier sandwich. Toss everything together, slice open a bun, load the meat inside, and serve.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
549kcal
(27%)
Carbohydrates
31g
(10%)
Protein
12g
(24%)
Fat
41g
(63%)
Saturated Fat
15g
(75%)
Cholesterol
54mg
(18%)
Sodium
430mg
(18%)
Potassium
230mg
(5%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
135IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
1.3mg
(1%)
Calcium
22mg
(2%)
Iron
2.5mg
(14%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 549 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 549kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 31g | 10% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 41g | 63% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Cholesterol | 54mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 430mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 230mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 135IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1.3mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 22mg | 2% |
| Iron | 2.5mg | 14% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
76 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
