Wild Pork Char Siu Gua Bao is a delicious preparation of wild pork! I used a muscle off of the back leg, but you could use the front shoulder, belly, or any other cut too.

I love bao! The delicious bun coupled with the savory meat is a perfect combination! Gua Bao is an open faced bao normally filled with tender pork belly. I did not have pork belly, so again I used a whole muscle off of the back ham of a wild boar, and it turned out great!

I was originally introduced to bao on a high school trip to California. We toured San Francisco’s China Town and our tour guide stopped at one of the restaurants and bought a few for the group to share. I was blown away. I had never tasted something so amazing!

Fast forward to my time at Auburn University, there was a small business that opened called Dumps Like a Truck. It was a young couple that served dumplings and bao out of a food truck. Whitley Dykes had an eye for business and his wife, Desiree (Kunyu Li) Dykes, a knack for food. They were a hit and they were soon able to buy a store front, which they named Irritable Bao. Their business and food were booming! Their line would be hours long, leaving customers hoping they didn’t sell out before they could get their hands on the delicious dumplings and bao. Having had both of these amazing experiences with this Asian dish, it was immediately added to my “Must Make” recipe list when I started this account.

Anywhoooo…. Sometimes cooking can take forever and with a full-time job that can make life hectic. I like using my Instant Pot for times like this, but any pressure cooker will do! I tried a new technique I was reading up about in this recipe. Instead of letting the meat marinate over night I put the pork and the marinade in the Instant Pot. The pressure created by the Instant Pot is supposed to force the marinade into the meat. It worked!! I let the Instant Pot naturally release, which took around 35 minutes, in order to keep as much moisture trapped in the meat as possible. All around, this process was much faster than waiting for the meat to marinate overnight. Enjoy!!