For tender braised pork, simmer for 90 minutes (not just 45 minutes as with regular braised pork) to achieve a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, especially for the pork skin. It's worth the extra time! For your first time, prepare an extra batch of stew base. Save the braising liquid for future use; after the third use, the soy sauce flavor will be richer. For detailed instructions on making the pork and caring for the braising liquid, see the linked braised pork recipe. Blanch the pork belly with ginger slices to remove impurities, then start braising.

The pickled mustard greens in Gua Bao should be sweet. Slice them thinly, rinse three times until most of the saltiness is gone, then squeeze dry and set aside. You can also make your own pickled greens; see the linked recipe for details.

In a dry pan (no oil), sauté the rinsed and squeezed pickled mustard greens over medium-low heat until fragrant, the moisture has reduced, and they are slightly dry. Then season: for every 5 oz (150g) of greens, add 1 teaspoon sugar. For this recipe, use 4 teaspoons sugar for 1 1/3 lbs (600g) of greens. Use just enough oil so the greens look glossy but there’s no excess oil at the bottom of the pan.

Roughly chop the cilantro. Cilantro and sweetened peanut powder are signature toppings—prepare them as garnishes. They are usually added to the bun.

Steam the folded buns just before serving. To assemble, fill each bun with pickled mustard greens, tender braised pork, cilantro, and sweetened peanut powder to taste. Enjoy every bite! Treat yourself and your family to this delicious dish!

When making Gua Bao or spring rolls, you often have leftover sweetened peanut powder. Don’t let it go to waste—use it to make a simple, tasty mochi. See the linked mochi recipe for details.