I discovered that there were frozen bao buns at the supermarket a few weeks ago. I say “discovered” as if I’d been searching, but they appeared like a revelation. While I’m pretty sure they’ve been around for a while, this is the first I’ve noticed them. Where have these been hiding? Making them from scratch is a labor of love, and not one I’m willing to perform very often. The last time I accidentally used some old flour and the whole thing was inedible.
That amount of work, just to be thrown away, was an incident not easily forgiven. But already-made bao to be filled with anything my imagination could conjure?
I came home with a pack and told my oldest, who matched my enthusiasm. We immediately brainstormed the fillings we could try on a Tuesday with this abundance of ready-made buns. I recognized that previously, their inconvenience may have stifled my creativity. I stick to the pork belly and pickled daikon and carrots for their rare appearance. Now we dared to consider all kinds of variations, even dessert.
Most of my ideas had a salty protein and an acidic vegetable element, just like the classic pork belly buns. We discussed Korean-style bulgogi beef with kimchi. Crispy fried chicken with dill pickles and spicy mayo. Barbecue pork and coleslaw. Garlic shrimp and pickled ginger with jalapeño. I rummaged through my freezer and found a bag of smoked meat. A common meal for us immediately became our front runner.
A pound of Hawaii-style smoked meat in the freezer is a privilege of living here. I don’t have my own smoker, but I regularly encounter a pickup on the side of the road with an ice chest of smoked meat by the pound, or know someone who is fundraising and selling to friends. I always try to have a couple of bags on hand for an easy dinner of smoked meat and onions, a lomi tomato salad (without the salmon) and rice. Going back to the theme, there’s the tangy acid from the vinegar in lomi tomato that melds so well with the sweet pork glaze and browned edges.
I steamed the bao buns according to the instructions on the package until they were soft and fluffy. Assembling the buns was a breeze — I placed a few pieces of the smoked pork in the center of each bun, followed by a spoonful of the lomi tomato mixture. We ended up eating them for lunch and filled our bao craving. Almost.
Smoked Meat and Lomi Tomato Bao Buns
Ingredients:
• 1 pound smoked meat
• 12 bao buns
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 5 green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, to taste
• Flaky sea salt, to taste
• Chili pepper water
Directions:
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smoked meat and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and much of the fat is cooked off. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the lomi tomato. In a small mixing bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, onion, green onions, apple cider vinegar and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Mix well and set aside.
Take the bao buns out of the package and steam them according to the instructions on the package, or use the microwave method (wrapping the bun in a damp paper towel).
Assemble the bao buns by placing a few pieces of the smoked meat in the center of each bun, followed by a couple of spoonfuls of the lomi tomato mixture on top. Add a dash of chili pepper water, if you like.
Makes 12 buns.
Mariko Jackson writes about family and food. Email her at thelittlefoodie@gmail.com.
