Can we skip to the part where we all take a bite of our bao and sit in complete silence (the ever-accurate indicator of a good meal) while we chow? Please? While we may not be able to speed up time, this reheat is pretty quick and simple. This means less time cookin’ and more time with your bao babies! These buns originated in China thousands of years ago and there are OODLES of variations. Bao are made with yeast-leavened bread and are often filled with pork and served steamed. Our inspired version has some sweet potato (and pork if you ordered it!) to pack into your buns. Bao literally translates to bun, so when you say “bao bun” it translates to, “bun bun”. Hehe.

 If you haven’t seen the Pixar short film titled Bao it’s definitely worth a watch. It may just make you love bao even more than you already do (or will, after you taste these!)

What’s in your bag:

• Steamed buns (bao)
• Sweet potato
• Spicy mayo
• Pickled veggies
• Korean slow cooked pork (if you ordered it!)

What you’ll need from home:

• 2 damp paper towels
• Microwave safe plate
• Aluminum foil lined sheet tray
• Saute pan (if you ordered the pork!)

Total prep time: 10-15 minutes

The Sweet Potato

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. 
2. Lightly drizzle some olive oil on your aluminum foil lined sheet tray and arrange your sweet potato evenly on there.
3. Toss in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until warmed to your liking.

The Steamed Buns

1. Grab your 2 damp paper towels and lay one flat on a microwave safe plate. 
2. Place your bao on top and lay the other damp paper towel on top. 
3. Toss in the microwave for 10 seconds. Yes! That’s it. After 10 seconds, use the back of your hand to test if your bao are soft and warm enough.
4. If they need more time, toss them back in the microwave for 10 more seconds. Repeat the process until you’re happy with how they look!

The Korean Slow Cooked Pork (if you ordered it!)

1. Heat the pork in a saute pan with a teaspoon of oil over medium for about 4-5 minutes or until warmed through. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pan. 
2. Add your pork to the bao! 

Assembly time! Spread some of your spicy mayo in each bao. Next, wedge a bit of sweet potato in each bao, and if you ordered the pork, add that on top of your sweet potato. Pickled veggies go on last, and the only next step is you taking a bite. Enjoy! 🙂

And that’s it! Dinner solved, dinner served. #weareWECO