Sandwich de porc braisé de Xi'an

Knead the dough

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast and salt. Pour in the warm water and mix until a rough dough forms, then turn it out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for about 8 minutes, until smooth, soft and elastic — it should spring back slowly when you poke it with a finger.

• 500 g flour
• 280 ml warm water
• 6 g yeast
• 5 g salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the dough is smooth and springs back slowly when pressed with a finger

Let the dough rest

Shape the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm spot. This slow rest relaxes the gluten so the baked bread turns out tender rather than tough.

✅ C'est prêt quand : the dough has roughly doubled in size and feels soft and pillowy

Shape and griddle the mo

Punch down the dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long thin strip, brush lightly with oil, then roll it up tightly into a spiral and tuck the end underneath — this is what gives the baked bread its flaky inner layers. Flatten each spiral into a disc about 1.5 cm thick and 10 cm wide. Heat a dry, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add a few discs at a time, cover, and cook, flipping every 2–3 minutes, until both sides are golden with light charred spots.

• 30 ml oil, for brushing and cooking

✅ C'est prêt quand : both sides are golden-brown with a few charred spots and the bread sounds hollow when tapped

Parboil the pork

Put the pork chunks in a pot, cover with cold water, add 1 slice of ginger and a splash of the Shaoxing wine, and bring to a boil. Let it bubble for 3 minutes so the grey foam and impurities rise to the top, then drain the pork in a colander and rinse both the pork and the pot under warm water. This step gives a cleaner-tasting, clearer braise later on.

• 1 kg pork belly
• 1 slice ginger
• splash Shaoxing wine
• to cover water

✅ C'est prêt quand : the pork is rinsed clean of foam and the pot is free of scum

Braise until tender

Return the pork to the clean pot with the remaining ginger and the scallions, the rest of the Shaoxing wine, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cloves, dried chillies, rock sugar, both soy sauces and the salt. Add enough water to cover the meat by about 2 cm, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down low, cover, and simmer gently until the pork is cooked through and tender, without disturbing much.

• 2 slices ginger
• 2 scallions
• rest Shaoxing wine
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 3 cloves
• 2 dried chillies
• 30 g rock sugar
• 60 ml light soy sauce
• 20 ml dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• to cover water

✅ C'est prêt quand : the pork is fall-apart tender when poked with a chopstick and the broth smells deeply spiced

Reduce and chop the pork

Uncover the pot, raise the heat to medium, and let the braising liquid bubble and reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then so it doesn't catch on the bottom — it should turn glossy and slightly syrupy. Lift the pork out with a slotted spoon and chop it with a cleaver, or shred with two forks, into small juicy pieces, keeping a little of the fat in for flavor. Toss the chopped pork with a few spoonfuls of the reduced sauce.

• braised pork, cooked

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sauce coats the back of a spoon and the pork is finely chopped and glossy with sauce

Fill and serve

Slice each warm mo open along one side, almost all the way through, like a pocket, keeping the opposite edge intact as a hinge. Stuff generously with the chopped pork, spoon in a little extra braising liquid, and tuck in cilantro or sliced green chilli if you like. Serve right away while the bread is still warm and crisp.

• to serve cilantro or green chilli

✅ C'est prêt quand : the bread is split open and packed full of juicy, saucy pork