Vietnamese · main

Banh Bao Thit

Banh Bao Thit reads umami 9.8, salinity 7.4 and richness 6.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese main, about 27 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 10.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 9.8 · Salinity 7.4 · Richness 6.9 · Funk & Ferment 6.5 · Marine & Briny 4.9 · Sweetness 4.8 · Allium 3.4 · Sourness 3.0 · Heat 2.9 · Smoke 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Fruity 1.2 · Earthy 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0 · Nutty 0.6 · Floral 0.6

What's in it (20)

• 2 pounds pork belly fresh
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sweet soy sauce
• 1 cup fish sauce
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 inch ginger peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• jalapeno chiles sliced paper thin
• cilantro sprigs
• cucumber sliced paper thin
• 1 cup carrots peeled and julienned on a mandolin
• 1 cup daikon peeled and julienned on a mandolin
• 3 cups water
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to taste
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Sriracha chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

Time & effort: about 27 hr (17 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 201.2 kcal, 4.2 g protein, 18.7 g fat, 3.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. 1. Combine all indredients and seal in a zip top bag, removing as much air as possible. Marinade pork for 24 hours.
2. 2. For the pickled slaw: In a mixing bowl, combine carrots and daikon. In a sauce pot, combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer whisk to dissolve salt and sugar. Pour the hot marinade over the carrots and daikon, cool to room temperature and refrigerate.
3. 3. Preheat an oven to 300°F. Place all contents of your pork marinade into a roasting pan that allows the pork to be covered while braising. Place a piece of parchment paper over the pork and seal tightly with foil.
4. 4. Braise the pork belly for 2 1/2 hours until tender. Allow to cool in the marinade.
5. 5. Slice the belly into 1/4" thick slices, cut just wide enough to fit into your steamed buns.
6. 6. For serving: Heat each slice of pork in a nonstick skillet.
7. 7. For the Sriracha mayonnaise: Stir all ingredients to combine.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Vietnamese Caramel Salmon — Vietnamese
• Vietnamese Caramelized Salmon and Rice Bowls — Vietnamese
• Vietnamese Caramel Pork (Thit Kho) — Vietnamese
• Vietnamese Caramel Chicken — Vietnamese
• Polpo alla Luciana — Italian · Naples

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.