Merrill's daughter Clara has quite the appetite -- and it's all Merrill can do to keep up. Armed with her greenmarket bag, a wooden spoon and a minimal amount of fuss, she steps into the fray.
Today on Food52: Meet the best pork buns you'll ever have.
I know what you're going to say. What parent in her right mind would consider David Chang's iconic pork buns 1: kid food; and 2: something to be undertaken at home when you live in the same city as Momofuku?
I have solid arguments for both.
These buns have all of the characteristics that kids love: they're salty and sweet and texturally interesting, they're fun to look at and eat, and they involve pork belly, a close cousin of bacon. (In Clara's world, there is never not a good time for bacon.)
If your children are old enough, they can make the steamed buns with you. What's more fun than little balls of dough you can smash and roll into funny shapes? And because the recipe makes so many of them, there's lots of room for error.
As for the second point, when it comes down to it, these are just not that difficult. The pork belly is a set-it-and-forget-it situation, requiring more patience than effort. The quick-pickled cucumbers are ready in a flash, and then all that's left are the buns -- both the most active and the most fun part of the recipe: once you get the hang of shaping the buns, it's kind of cathartic to crank out the smooth little envelopes of dough.
Maybe the best thing about the buns is that after you steam them, they freeze like a dream. Which is why the recipe makes twice as many as you'll need -- make 50 (ish), freeze half, and the next time the bulk of your work will be behind you before you begin.
Here's a step-by-step on how to shape the buns:
After the first rise, divide the dough into 50 pieces, roll them into little balls, and let them rise again.
Roll each ball into an oval and brush with oil.
Lay a chopstick across the center and fold the bun in half over it.
Gently remove the chopstick and transfer the bun to a square of parchment for its last rise before steaming.
Adapted from Momofuku by David Chang and Peter Meehan
6 pounds skinless pork belly
1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 7 tablespoons sugar
2 thick Kirby cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch-slices
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup rendered pork fat, bacon fat or vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (green and white parts)
This article originally appeared on Food52.com: Momofuku's Pork Buns
Food52 is a community for people who love food and cooking. Follow them at Food52.com -- and check out their new kitchen and home shop, Provisions.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.