Char Sui Pork Belly with Sesame-Celery Salad and Bao Buns

Method

1. Score through the top of the pork belly in ½ inch diagonal cuts-being careful not to cut into the meat.
2. For the Char Sui Marinade: Mix all ingredients. Split the marinade in half, storing half in a bowl covered with plastic in the fridge. Rub the remaining half of the Char Sui marinade well into the pork belly and place in a large zip lock bag, pressing all the air out. Leave in the fridge overnight
3. When ready to cook, prepare a drip tray under the cool side of the grill to prevent flare-ups.
4. Heat the grill to 250°F, using the 2-Zone setup.
5. Place the pork belly fat/skin side up on the cool zone of the grill. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
6. Add a few chunks of fruit wood for smoke, placing the lid vents over the meat side to drive the smoke over the bellies
7. Spritz the pork with ginger beer or apple juice every 30 minutes or so for the next 1 ½ hours. (total of 2 ½ hours of cooking)
8. Tear off two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
9. Remove the pork belly from the smoker or grill and place it fat-side up on the length of foil. Spritz one more time and wrap tightly in foil.
10. Place the foil package back in the cool zone, close the lid, and cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the pork reads an internal temperature of 195°F-205°F.
11. Warm the remaining marinade--adding a little water if it is too thick.
12. Unwrap the foil packet discarding the juices and foil and moving the pork belly carefully to the cool side of the grill. Brush with marinade and cook with the lid on for about 30 minutes or until the glaze is nicely set and the belly is a deep mahogany color.
13. When you are ready to serve, transfer to cutting board At this point, you may choose to pull, slice, or cube the meat. Optionally, you can remove the pork belly from the grill and chill overnight, cut into thick slabs and re-therming again in the cool zone of grill, stir frying or in a non-stick pan when ready to eat.
14. Blanch the celery for 20 seconds and shock in an ice bath. Dry the celery julienne; pat dry. Toss with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds, and set aside.
15. Steam the Chinese buns—fill with the Char Sui and Celery Salad.
16. Garnish with green onion curls, hoisin and chopped peanuts.