I made this dish with pork tenderloin instead of the more traditionally used pork shoulder.  This rendition is healthier and in my opinion, more tasty.

Ingredients:

Buns

- 2.5 teaspoons yeast

- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1 cup warm water

- 3 cups flour

- 2 teaspoons olive oil

- 6 large cabbage leaves

Pork

- 1 medium sized pork loin

- 2 cups beer, preferably a dark lager

- 2 cups water

- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions

- 1 tablespoon fish sauce

- ½ cup store bought ponzu sauce

- ¼ cup hoisin sauce

Veggies

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 cup julienned carrots, about 4 medium sized carrots

- ½ large red onion cut into ¼ inch slices

- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger

- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

- 1 tablespoon chopped scallions

- 1 cup water

- 1 teaspoon fish sauce

Instructions:

Mix water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the yeast and sugar have fully dissolved.  Place flour in a standing mixing bowl fit with a dough hook.  Pour yeast mixture over the flour and mix on medium-high speed until a dough ball has formed, about 10 minutes.  Remove the dough and place in a bowl coated with the olive oil.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate for 2 hours.  The dough should double in size during this time.

While the dough is rising, place ingredients listed under “pork” in a crock-pot, cover and cook for 1.5-2 hours over high heat.

For the vegetables,   heat olive oil in a wok over medium-high heat.  Coat the bottom of the wok with the oil and add the carrots and onion.  Sauté for 8 minutes.  Stir in ginger, scallions and hoisin sauce.  Cook for 3 additional minutes.  Add water and simmer until water has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Cover and remove from heat.

Remove the meat from the crock-pot and let cool to room temperature.  Discard the remaining liquid in crock-pot once it has fully cooled.  Once the meat has cooled, cut the loin in half across its width.  Using a fork shred the pork along the grain of the meat.  Add the shredded pork to the vegetable mixture, stir and cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Cover and remove from the heat.

Finally, remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into six fist sized balls.  Position a steam rack at the base of shallow stockpot.  Fill the pot with enough water so that it just barely touches the bottom of the steam rack.  Place one layer of cabbage on top of the steam rack and place the dough balls on top of the cabbage.  Space the dough balls 1/2″ apart to allow for expansion while steaming.  Cover the stockpot with a lid.  Heat the contents over medium-high heat.  Steam the buns for 12 minutes and remove from pot.  Cut a slit across each bun and fill with vegetable/pork mixture.  Serve immediately.