Directions

1. First, let’s make the filling which we call it la Zhi Rou. The best cut for this recipe is the pork shoulder. But I couldn’t find it today so have a piece of pork belly. This is a very lean pork belly but it is still quite fat for this recipe so I also have some pork loin here to balance it.

2. Cut the pork into big chunks. We are going to blanch the meat. Put the pork in a pot with cold water. Bring this to a boil. Then take the meat out and through the water.
3. In a clean pot, add in 1 tsp of vegetable oil and 2 tsp of sugar. Start with the low heat and we will stir this until it turns into a caramel color.Remove it from the stove and let it cool down. Add some warm water to it. Stir until the caramel is dissolved.
4. Put the pork in. Then we will add some spices (1 piece of cinnamon, 1 tsp of fennel seed, 1/2 tsp of cloves, 1 tsp of black peppercorn, 1 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn, 2 tsp of Gan Cao, 3 pieces of star anise, 2 pieces of orange peel, 3 cloves of garlic, Few slices of ginger, 2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine, 2 tsp of dark soy sauce, some white part of big scallion).
5. Add more water to cover the pork. Bring this to a boil. Now it is the time to add salt. Taste and adjust it. Cover it and let this simmer for at least 3 hours. One thing you need to know is if the water evaporates too much then it will taste a bit salty. You can add more water if needed.
6. While that is cooking, we can make the white bread bun which we call it Bai Ji mo. In the stander mixing bowl, add 2 cups plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp of baked baking soda. Mix 2 tsp of dried yeast with 1/2 cups and 1 tbsp of warm water. Slowly pour the yeast water into the mixing bowl. Use the paddle to mix it on low speed for a minute or Then switch it to the hook attachment. Knead the dough on low speed for 5-8 minutes.
7. Take the dough out and knead it until smooth. Let this proof for 20 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Take one piece of the dough. Roll it into a strip. Then flatten it by rolling pin. Roll it up from one side. Grab the end of it and put it on the top. Let it stand up. Flatten it with your hand. Roll this into a thick round piece. The size is about 11-12 cm across.
8. Put this in a frying pan. Use low heat to toast it. Make sure you leave some space between each Mo bread because it will still get a little bigger as it heating up. When you heat the first side, you can cover the lid so it will cook the inside fast. 4 or 5 minutes later, give it a little peek. If you see it has that slightly yellow color, you can flip it over and cook the other side. When you cook the other side, don’t cover the lid or else you will ruin the crispiness. When both sides are yellow like that. You can take it out.
9. Now let’s check the meat. It should be super tender that you can break it with chopsticks. Chopping the meat and at the same time, keep adding the brine until you cannot add any more. This is the secret that your hamburger will be extremely juicy.
10. Take one piece of that mo bread. Cut it open. Stop the knife when you reach half of it. Use the tip of the knife and cut the inside open to create a pocket. Stuff the meat into the bread. Make sure you add another spoon of that flavorful brine so the bread can soak it up and become very tasty. I also like to chop some cilantro and scallion. Mix it into the meat. Add a tsp of chili sauce. It tastes super delicious.