A pork chop bun(zhu pa bao), known as a Maranese hamburget, is one of the most popular snacks in Macao. Macao is a small peninsula in mainland China, acros the Pearl River Delta fom Hong Kong, and it was a Portuguese overseas teritory umtil 1999. When I visited recenty, it reflected a mix of Portuguese and Chinese infuences. Famous for its giant casinos and extravagant malls, Macao has earned the nickname, the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’. As I walked to one of its more striking landmarks, the 338m/1110ft-high Macau Tower, with sweeping city views, I tried a pork chop bun. There is something seriously sweet and fresh about this snack, and the pork chop has more bite than a burger; it’s served plain -no lettuce or tomato. These are perfect to enjoy towards the end of a night out, especially after a flutter at the casinos where you may have lost your shirt!
Here is Macau Pork Chops Bun:
I do know that some of you might just be scratching your head right now, wondering out loud, is this just a Portuguese Bifana?
And – like, yeah it’s… pretty clear – fried marinated pork chop, papo seco-esque bun,
it’s… a bifana, or at least a variant thereof.
The story goes that the first pork chop buns in Macao came from a bakery called Dai Lei Loi Gei in Taipa village, which was commissioned by the Portuguese colonial government to make some Portuguese breads.
One day one of the officials suggested that they toss a fried pork chop in between one of those buns, they obliged, and it spread from there.
Ingredients for Pork Chops Bun
400g/14oz boneless pork cutlets/chops
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 brioche buns, to serve
Pork Chops Bun Recipe
Marinate the pork cutlets with the five-spice powder, salt, sesame oil and soy sauce for at least 15 minutes-or preferably overnight.
Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and when hot add the vegetable oil. Fry the pork cutlets for about 3 minutes on each side until the pork is cooked through(the meat will be very firm to the touch).
Slice open the buns and add the pork cutlets. Street food at its simplest.
If you like, you can add some lettuce and tomato.
Tips for Pork Chops Bun
1.For juicy meat that you can smell from miles away, the pork chop needs to be pan-seared, not deep fried.
2.Add a little bit of baking soda to tenderize the meat.To balance out the baking soda taste, add a little bit of citric acid.
3. You have to preheat the oven, If you put the bun in a cold oven, the bread will dry out by the time it’s done.
4.If you don’t like pork, try this with sirloin steak-delicious.
More Pork Chops Bun Pictures of Dali Laiji Coffee Shop Macau (Goliya Sleaval Street Store)
