I already have a gua bao recipe on the blog, but it's made with pork! I've been wanting to make pulled beef gua bao for a while now. I took it upon myself to make some last week, the dough is so easy to make and can be made the day before. These gorgeous steamed buns are like eating a fluffy cloud.  

I then made a little mixture using sauces and spices from my pantry to give this pulled beef some asian flavors. An hour and a half later, my meat was fork tender and didn't even needed help to get pulled. For the toppings, I kept it simple : carrots, chives and cilantro. A healthy dose of hot sauce too!

Pulled beef gua bao (20 pieces) :

• 20 gua bao
• 500g beef stew meat
• 25cl (1 cup) beef stock
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 60ml (1/4 cup) oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (nuoc mam)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 lemongrass stalk

For the toppings :

• 2 shredded carrots
• 10 chives
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• Hot sauce (optional)

Add all the ingredients (except toppings) in a pressure cooker or regular pot, mix well and cover.

If using a pressure cooker, let it cook for an hour and a half.

In a regular pot, let it cook on low for 2h-2h30, check the tenderness of the meat from time to time.

When it's cooked, take the meat out with a slotted spoon and put it in a bowl. Use two forks to pull it.

Reduce the sauce in the pan on medium heat until it's thick and packed with punchy flavors.

Put the meat back in the sauce and mix well.

Serve the meat in steamed buns with carrots, cilantro and chives. Add hot sauce if using!