So, for country number 42 , we will be making Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns or Gua Bao. This very rich sticky pork dish is quite close to a Chinese Beef And Broccoli dish I made not so long back. The main difference being the influence of the star anise in the spices. Once you have made pork this way, you will find yourself using it as a filling in other breads and buns. the pork goes so well with fresh crunchy summer vegetables and winter green leave vegetables.

Ingredients for Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns :

• 250 grams pork belly or pork pieces cubed
• 3 store bought steamed buns
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil (or peanut oil)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 brown onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp dried red chili flakes (1/2 tsp if you want more heat)
• 3 tbsp red wine
• 1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Kecap Manis
• A grind of black pepper
• 450 mls of hot water

For the filling:

• Red onion sliced thinly
• Mesculin salad greens
• Cucumber peeled and sliced thinly