Chinese Pocket Sandwich (肉夹馍）

If you like Chinese food or have been in China before, you probably have eaten or known Chinese Sandwich (肉夹馍）。 It's a classic fast street food that, if done right, is tasty, nutritious and non-expensive.

The ones I ate when I was in China are made of thick round bread slit in the middle and stuffed with braised meat and fresh vegetables. I have seen pictures of the bun in a pocket form on internet. I like the pocket form better. I have tried a few ways of making the pocket. This Instructable is one of the way I tried. The idea definitely worked, except the texture is dry. I prefer the texture to be either soft or crunch. If you like Chinese Pocket Sandwich, take everything in this recipe and go from there, except the way how the pocket bread is cooked. If you like soft pocket bread, try to steam the pockets. If you like crunchy pocket bread, use oil in the bottom of the pan to cook the pockets. If you like the dry pockets that won't make your fingers oily after holding them, follow closely with this Instructable.

1 set of 4 Taco Holders

1 pastry mat

200g All-purpose flour

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

About 1/2 cup water

1 Pack Butt Country Style Pork Ribs (2.74 lb)

1 whole dried chili pepper

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cardamom

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2 pieces of ginger

1 bunch of green onion, white portion

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp Shaoxin wine

3 tbsp brown sugar

3 Cups of water

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup diced red onions

1/2 cup diced cucumber

Sea salt

Freshly ground assorted peppercorns

In a large pot, add pork rib and water (well covered meat), bring it to boil.

Reduce heat, let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer meat to a new pot, discard the initial cooking water with foam.

Add the following spices to the meat:

1 whole dried chili pepper

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cardamom

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2 pieces of ginger

1 bunch of green onion, white portion

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp Shaoxin wine

3 tbsp brown sugar

Add 3 - 4 cups of water so water just keeps meat immersed.

Turn on heat, cook the meat until it's as soft as falling off bone. You can also preheat oven to 275F degrees and cook it in the oven once it's brought to a boil on stove top.

Start active dry yeast as a way to make sure your yeast is still alive, by adding 1tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp active dry yeast to slightly less than 1/2 cup water at about 100F degrees.

Weigh 200g all purpose flour.

Sift it in a mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center, add yeast solution in batches and incorporate water and flour to form a soft dough.

Flour the bottom of the bowl, place the dough in the bowl, cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Flour a surface, place the dough on the floured surface.

Divided the dough into 8-10 equal portions to make 4-5 pockets.

Roll out a portion to 6" circle.

Roll a second portion to 6" circle.

Coat half of the edge of the circle with water.

Place one circle on top of the other. Once cooked, the pocket is naturally open on top half and closed on bottom half edge.

Repeat with remaining dough portions to make 4-5 pockets.

Place the pocket dough in a dry cast iron pan, cook on medium/low on both sides until each side has nice brown spots.

Repeat cooking the remaining pockets.

Have diced cilantro, red onions, and cucumber ready. (You can add sweet red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, tomato, etc. according to your taste).

Pick a piece of cooked meat the braising solution, chop it together with with a good pinch of each of the vegetables.

Season it with sea salt and freshly ground peppers.

Spoon the filling to fill up the pockets.

Drizzle one spoonful of the hot braising solution over the filling of each pocket.

Enjoy them warm!

(BTW, left over meat and the braising solution make wonderful soup noodle. This is really two meals in one cooking.)

If you like this recipe, please heart it, share it or leave comments. If you like a video version of it, it will be posted on my YouTube channel shortly.