Rou jia mo

Step 1: Put 1 ¾ lb pork belly in a pot of cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Step 2: In the clean pot, heat 1 tbsp neutral oil and 1 oz rock sugar over a medium heat until the sugar turns amber. Add the pork and turn it in the caramel for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add 6 ¼ cups water, 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tsp salt, 1 oz fresh ginger, 3 spring onions, 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 4 cloves and 3 dried red chillies. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very gently for 90 minutes, until the pork is soft enough to break with a spoon. It will be well past 145°F (145 °F).

Step 4: While the pork cooks, mix 12 ½ oz plain flour, ⅛ oz instant yeast and ½ tsp baking powder, add ¾ cup lukewarm water and knead for 5 minutes into a soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each into a long strip, brush with 1 tbsp neutral oil, roll it up like a snail, stand it on end and press flat. Roll into a 10 cm round about 1.5 cm thick; you will see the spiral on top.

Step 6: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Cook the breads in a dry heavy frying pan over a medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes a side until pale gold patches appear and the edge sets.

Step 7: Move the breads to a baking tray and bake for 8–10 minutes until the sides are firm and they sound hollow when tapped.

Step 8: Lift the pork out of the broth and chop it on a board with a cleaver into rough pieces, mixing in 2 green chillies and ⅔ oz coriander as you chop. Spoon over 3–4 tablespoons of the hot braising liquid. Chopping it to a paste and leaving it dry is a common mistake; you want chunks, and juice.

Step 9: Split each warm bread along the side, keeping the back hinged, and pack in the chopped pork. Serve straight away.