Pork Belly Buns

Ah pork belly, why are thee so tasty? This sinfully decadent dish is irresistible to all. Just look at this photo, you know you want it.

Pork Belly Buns:

Total Time: 3.5 hrs (requires overnight). Serves: 5. Difficulty: Easy-Medium

3-4 lb of pork belly (get a whole slab from Ranch, not pre-sliced)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, sliced (optional, you can seed them if you'd like)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 packages of store bought buns (from Ranch)

Condiments:
1 cucumber, sliced thinly
1 japapeno, sliced thinly
2 green onion, chopped
Hoisin sauce

1. Prepare this step the night before. Preheat the oven to 275 F. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork belly. Wrap it in two layers of foil (this is to prevent the juices from leaking) and put it on a cookie sheet or tray. Slow roast the pork belly for 2 hours. Wait for it to be cool enough, do not open the package and refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight (until the juices set).
2. Unwrap the foil, the fat should be solidified. Get rid of the fat but keep some of the gelatin. Slice the pork belly into 1/4" thick and 1/2" long pieces for easy consumption.
3. Heat a pan, preferably nonstick, with a little oil and brown both sides of the pork belly, turning only once. This part is a little tricky because fat will melt and splatter. To minimize this, turn the heat down to medium and try to keep the meat away from the oil that will collect and pool.
4. Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, and water into a bowl (this is the caramel sauce). Set aside.
5. Remove the meat to a plate. Using the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of the remaining oil (get rid of the excess). Add the garlic, ginger, green onion and jalapeno. Saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour in the caramel sauce.
6. Add the meat in a single layer and simmer for 10 minutes, turning only once (if you need to, do this in batches).
7. In the meantime, steam the buns via your favorite method. We used a rice cooker. Alternatively, you can add 1/2 cup of water to a bottom of a shallow pan or wok, and put a bowl filled the buns into the pan. Turn heat to medium high and steam for 10 minutes. You can even microwave them if you want to, just be sure to cover them with a moistened paper towel so they don't dry out and microwave them in 30 second increments so they don't get overcooked.
8. Serve with your favorite condiments.
*If you feel that this is too fatty, you can also serve your favorite veggie as a side dish. It will make you feel less guilty about eating so much pork belly.

To assemble the buns:
Add a bit of hoisin sauce to the buns, then add a slice of cucumber, some green onion, and if you'd like, a slice of jalapeno. Finally, add the pork belly. Take a picture, and nom away!