Known as gua bao in their home country, these delectable Chinese buns are super easy to make, and even easier to eat! Traditional Chinese filling include braised pork belly, thinly sliced vegetables, pickled mustard greens and chopped peanuts, but you can fill them with almost and combo of meat and veggies you can dream up. The cabbage used to line the steamer basket also makes for a sweet, tender addition. Cantonese-style red braised pork belly, or Char Siu, see below or click here for recipe.

Paired with hoisin or black bean, garlic and chili sauce, you can’t go wrong. You can also use the dough to make filled steamed buns. Yellow Eye beans have a sweet, chestnutty flavor that makes a great sweet filling. Just add a little honey or sugar to the cooked beans and mash them up; or, use sweetened red bean paste as is common in china.

Char Siu is a celebrated Cantonese dish made of honey-glazed roast pork, marinated in red rice fermented tofu, hoisin sauce, five spice, soy sauce and honey. In the fast food industry, red rice tofu is often replaced with red food coloring, but the traditional flavors are of course far superior (and non toxic). Many cuts of pork can be used, although I recommend pork butt or shoulder.

You can also use spare ribs (as pictured here) pork belly, loin, or just about anything you fancy, even vegetarian options like tofu and eggplant (which taste great together!). The pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees. Tofu or eggplant can be cooked until the desired texture is achieved. Combined with steamed buns and fresh, crunchy dressed herbs and veggies, this is a meal made in heaven!