Steamed Cornbread Pork Belly Bao Muffins

Ingredients

Quick pickled radishes:

3 radishes thinly sliced

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

1 lime, juiced

1 Tbs honey

 

Filling:

1 lb. pork belly

3 Tbs hoisin sauce

2 Tbs oyster sauce

3 Tbs soy sauce

3 Tbs honey

1 Tbs rice wine vinegar

1 cup water

½ Tbs gochujang or other pepper paste

¾ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

4 scallions thinly sliced

 

Cornbread:

2 (6 oz.) pkg. Martha White® Buttermilk Cornbread & Muffin Mix

¾ cup milk

2 egg

Directions

1.) Grease 3, 6-muffin pans (Lodge Cast Iron Muffin Pan). In the bottom of a wide casserole dish (Lodge 3.6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Covered Casserole) crumple aluminum foil into supports to hold the muffin pan elevated off the bottom of the dish. Add ½ inch of water to the dish for steaming later.

2.) In a small bowl combine radishes with ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, juice of one lime, and 1 Tbs honey. Cover and set aside.

3.) Cut pork belly into ½ inch cubes (cutting while the pork is cold makes this easier). Add pork belly to a cold, medium sized Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and cook over medium heat until the pork is rendered and starts to crisp (10-15 min). Drain excess rendered pork fat. While cooking, mix hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, 2 Tbs honey, 1 Tbs rice wine vinegar, water, gochujang, ground ginger, garlic powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

4.) Add sauce mixture to cooked, rendered pork belly and continue cooking over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens (about 15 min). Turn off heat and add scallions with some reserved for garnish.

5.) While sauce is thickening, combine Martha White® Buttermilk Cornbread & Muffin Mix, milk, and eggs. Mix until smooth (more mixing than traditional cornbread will develop the texture more closely resembling a bao bun). Let sit 10 min to hydrate the cornbread mix.

6.) Bring the water in the casserole dish to a simmer over medium low heat. Divide the cornbread mix between 18 muffins, about half full. Add a rounded tablespoon of pork mixture to the center of each muffin. Working with one muffin pan at a time (and with oven mitts!), place the pan onto the aluminum foil supports and cover the casserole dish. Steam for 10min. Open the lid away from you and remove the muffin pan. Add more water if needed and repeat with the other muffin pans. Allow to cool for 10 min and turn muffins out onto a wire rack.

7.) Serve muffins with pickled radishes and reserved scallions for garnish. Enjoy!