Step One: Wrap the beef in cling film and place in the freezer for 30 minutes then cut into 5mm thick slices. Use your fingers to press and flatten each piece of beef to about 2.5mm
Step Two: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, nashi pear, mirin, sesame oil, sesame seeds and pepper. Add beef slices and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes
Step Three: Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and add the beef. Cook on one side until liquid evaporates and beef caramelises. Turn beef slices over and cook for a further minute. Transfer beef to a serving platter and top with spring onion
Step Four: To serve, place the beef, lettuce leaves, cabbage, perilla or mint leaves, bean shoots and kimchi in the middle of the table for everyone to make their own lettuce wraps
Notes: Mirin is a Japanese rice wine. Perilla is a herb with a minty, anise flavour but it can be difficult to find so use mint instead if it’s unavailable. Mirin, perilla leaves and kimchi are available from Asian supermarkets.
Tips & Tricks: Putting the beef in the freezer makes it firmer, which means it’s easier to slice thinly. If you’ve got a tabletop grill you can have your guests cook their own beef just like in a Korean BBQ restaurant. Slices of chicken or pork can be used instead of beef
360g (12.6 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant dry yeast
35g (1 oz) white sugar
35g (1 oz) vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing the dough
180g (6.3 oz) warm water
20ml milk
vegetable oil, for greasing
Korean Chicken
4 large chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 tsp sesame seeds
thinly sliced cucumber to serve
Sauce for Chicken
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp gochujang*
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Other
***Individual square baking sheets
Instructions:
Step One: To make the bao, mix the flour, baking powder, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, water and milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the oil mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon, and then use your hands to knead until the dough comes together. Empty out onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth, adding extra flour if the dough sticks to the palm of your hand. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover it, and rest in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size
Step Two: Once risen, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for another 5 minutes. Place a small amount of oil in a small bowl. Flatten the dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough a little. Dip you fingers into the oil and rub on both sides of the dough to stop it from sticking to your work surface. Then continue to roll out the dough until it is about 1cm (roughly ½”) thick. Give the top of the dough a final rub of oil. Then use an 8cm (around 3 ¼”) cookie cutter to cut out dough circles. Fold each circle over in half and transfer to a square of baking paper. Use the rolling pin to roll over the top to gently flatten each folded piece. Any extra dough can now be rolled out again and cut and folded in the same way. Cover the bao lightly with a tea towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes
Step Three: Fill a wok one-third full with water and place over high heat. Place a bamboo steamer over the wok. When the water is boiling, steam the buns in batches in the steamer for 12 minutes or until fluffy and cooked through. Then turn off the heat (don’t lift the lid) and allow the buns to rest over the hot water for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate or tray. Note: Buns can be made up to a day in advance and steamed to re-heat before serving. They can also be frozen at this point and reheated from frozen in the steamer before serving
Step Four: To make the fried chicken, season the chicken with salt and pepper, then set aside
Step Five: For the sticky sauce, place the ingredients in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until just thickened. Set aside until ready to serve
Step Six: Dust each piece of chicken in the cornstarch, tapping off any excess
Step Seven: Fill a wok or saucepan to about 1/3 capacity with the vegetable oil and place over high heat. The oil is hot enough when a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms little bubbles. Cook the chicken (do this in batches if your wok is small) for about 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire baking rack
Step Eight: Brush the warm chicken with the sticky sauce (reserve about a quarter of the sauce for serving). Sprinkle the chicken with sesame seeds
Step Nine: To serve, open up each bao and spoon a little sauce into the center. Stuff with cucumber slices and pieces of fried chicken. Serve immediately
12.6 ounces plain all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 ounce white sugar
1 ounce olive oil, plus extra for greasing
6.3 ounces of warm water
.68 ounces milk
Fried Chicken
4 large chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cornstarch
Oil for frying
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
thinly sliced cucumber
Sticky Sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon gochujang
2 tablespoon ketchup
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Instructions
Step one:
To make the bao, mix the flour, baking powder, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, water and milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the oil mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon and then use your hands to knead until the dough comes together. Empty out onto a work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth, adding extra flour if the dough sticks to the palm of your hand. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover and rest in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
Step two:
Once risen, transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for another 5 minutes. Place a small amount of oil in a small bowl. Flatten the dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough a little. Dip you fingers into the oil and rub on both sides of the dough to stop it from sticking to your work surface. Then continue to roll out the dough until it is about 1cm (roughly ½”) thick. Give the top of the dough a final rub of oil. Then use an 8cm (around 3 ¼”) cookie cutter to cut out dough circles. Fold each circle over in half and transfer to a square of baking paper. Use the rolling pin to roll over the top to gently flatten each folded piece. Any extra dough can now be rolled out again and cut and folded in the same way. Cover the bao lightly with a tea towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Step three:
Fill a wok one-third full with water and place over high heat. Place a bamboo steamer over the wok. When the water is boiling, steam the buns in batches in the steamer for 12 minutes or until fluffy and cooked through. Then turn off the heat (don’t lift the lid) and allow the buns to rest over the hot water for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate or tray. Note: Buns can be made up to a day in advance and steamed to re-heat before serving. They can also be frozen at this point and reheated from frozen in the steamer before serving.
Step four:
To make the fried chicken, season the chicken with the salt and pepper, then set aside.
Step five:
For the sticky sauce, place the ingredients in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until just thickened. Set aside until ready to serve.
Step six:
Dust each piece of chicken in the corn flour, tapping off any excess.
Step seven:
Fill a wok or saucepan to about 1/3 capacity with the vegetable oil and place over high heat. The oil is hot enough when a wooden spoon dipped into the oil forms little bubbles. Cook the chicken (do this in batches if your wok is small) for about 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire baking rack.
Step eight:
Brush the warm chicken with the sticky sauce (reserve about a quarter of the sauce for serving). Sprinkle the chicken with sesame seeds.
Step nine:
To serve, open up each bao and spoon a little sauce into the center. Stuff with cucumber slices and pieces of fried chicken. Serve immediately.
