Xi'an Roujiamo 🫓

Méthode

1. 1

   Blanch the pork 5 minutes, rinse. Layer in a pot with spices, ginger, both soys, wine, sugar and water to cover; simmer 90-120 minutes until a chopstick slides through without resistance.

2. 2

   Lift the pork out, mince with two forks while hot (knife-mincing bruises the fibre), then spoon over 2-3 tbsp of the cooled braising jelly. Keep the rest of the broth for the next batch — Xi'an shops never change the pot.

3. 3

   Mix bread dough with only half the water at first, knead smooth, rest 20 minutes only — this is a semi-leavened dough, no long rise.

4. 4

   Divide into 8 balls; roll each into a 12 cm oval, coil from one end like a sleeping bag to build flaky layers, then flatten seam-up and roll to 10 cm.

5. 5

   Dry-bake on medium until both faces blister with pale leopard spots and the rim springs back when pressed, 3-4 minutes per side; finish 5 minutes in a 200°C oven for full crisp if you dare.

6. 6

   Slice a pocket from the top of each mo, chop into the warm braised pork, pack hard, and hand over with a squeeze of the bread. It should leak a little — the good ones do.