Chinese Bao Board

Prep: 35 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

It would be carved up on a platter and surrounded by fluffy steamed bun pockets. Each person would smear some hoisin sauce into the bun, fill it with crispy duck skin and meat, then top it all off with some cilantro and cucumbers. It was sweet, savory, comforting, and fun to assemble — especially when I was a kid.

I’ve built many a charcuterie board for work and for parties, and it finally dawned on me a few years ago: Why not a Chinese bao board? Inspired by the roast duck platter, a bao board basically deconstructs the elements in the delicious buns found at Chinese bakeries and dim sum restaurants and presents it on a board, making them perfect for parties and gatherings.

Ingredients

1 recipe Chinese Steamed Buns, or about 15 store-bought frozen gua bao buns
1 recipe Milk Bread Buns
Chinese roast duck
Chinese crispy-skinned roast pork
Cha siu (Chinese BBQ pork)
Chinese white cut or soy sauce chicken
Steamed Chinese sausage
Sliced and cooked firm tofu, such as honey sesame tofu or crispy tofu
Scallions
Cucumbers
Fresh cilantro
Chinese pickled mustard greens
Fried shallots or French-fried onions
Chopped roasted peanuts
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha hot sauce or chili oil
Chili crisp or chile-garlic paste
Ginger-scallion oil
Peanut sauce
Chinese prepared hot mustard
Char siu sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee

Instructions

If the proteins and steamed buns need to be warmed up or resteamed, heat the oven to 325ºF and prepare a steamer. Place the proteins that need to be reheated in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet (if the meat is whole and bone-in, cut large sections of the meat off the bone first). Bake until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes. Gently steam Chinese sausages or steamed chicken for 10 minutes if needed. Reheat a few steamed buns in the steamer for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut up the garnishes: Thinly slice cucumbers into half-moons or cut into matchsticks. Cut scallions crosswise into 2-inch pieces, then cut lengthwise into thin threads. Trim fresh cilantro into pieces that will fit neatly in the buns. Coarsely chop Chinese pickled mustard greens.
Use a rimmed baking sheet or large platter or serving board that’s about the same size. Lay all the ingredients out on the work surface, then arrange the ingredients on the board in this order:
Replenish with the sauces, garnishes, and more warmed steamed buns as needed.