Chinese Mo 肉夹馍 Recipe

Blanch and clean pork

Place the pork cubes in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer 3 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse pork under warm water; discard blanching liquid and pat pork dry.

Caramelize sugar

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs vegetable oil over medium heat. Add rock sugar (or granulated sugar) and stir until melted and caramel-colored, being careful not to burn (2–4 minutes).

Brown pork

Add the blanched pork to the caramel and sear 4–6 minutes, stirring so pieces get evenly coated and lightly browned.

Aromatics and seasonings

Add sliced ginger, smashed garlic, and smashed white parts of green onion. Stir 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in Shaoxing wine and allow alcohol to cook off for 1 minute.

Add sauces and spices

Stir in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, star anise, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Pour in enough water (about 1.2 L) to just cover the pork. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Braise

Cover partially and simmer on low heat for 1.5–2 hours until pork is fork-tender and sauce has reduced. Alternatively, braise in a 160°C (320°F) oven for 2 hours. Stir occasionally and skim foam if needed.

Shred and finish

Transfer pork to a cutting board or bowl. Reserve about 200 ml of braising liquid for assembly. Using two forks (or your hands when cool), shred the pork into strings; mix with a few tablespoons of the reserved braising sauce to keep it moist. Taste and add 1.5 tsp salt (adjust to taste). Keep warm.

Make dough

In a large bowl combine 500 g all-purpose flour, 5 g instant yeast, 5 g sugar and 5 g salt. Add 260 ml warm water and 20 ml vegetable oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand or mixer for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

First rise

Oil the bowl lightly, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 60–75 minutes.

Divide and shape

Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces (about 75–80 g each) for sandwich-size mo. Roll each piece into a ball, rest 10 minutes, then flatten into 10–12 cm rounds about 1 cm thick. Brush lightly with a little oil, then fold or roll depending on desired layered texture (optional: roll with oil, fold several times, then flatten) to create layered shaobing-like interior.

Second rise and cook

Let shaped rounds rest 20–30 minutes until slightly puffy. Cook options: (A) Pan-fry over medium-low heat in a dry skillet 4–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through; press gently to ensure even cooking. (B) Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12–15 minutes until golden. (C) For a softer steamed style, steam 8–10 minutes then briefly pan-sear to dry the surface. Keep cooked buns covered so they remain soft.

Split buns

When cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to slice buns about two-thirds of the way through to form a pocket for the filling.

Fill the mo

Open a bun pocket and spoon in a generous portion of shredded braised pork (about 100–120 g per bun), making sure to include some of the reserved braising sauce (about 25 ml per bun) to keep it juicy.

Add garnishes

Top the pork with a small handful of pickled mustard greens or pickled cucumber (about 15–20 g), some chopped scallions, and cilantro. Add chili oil to taste if you want heat.

Serve

Serve immediately while buns and pork are warm. Offer extra braising sauce or chili oil on the side.