Hújiāo Bǐng

Hújiāo Bǐng (Black Pepper Pork Flatbread)

Hújiāo Bǐng is a pan-fried stuffed flatbread from Shandong, traditionally filled with seasoned pork and tempered with a generous hit of freshly cracked black pepper — the namesake 'hújiāo.' It's a beloved street snack sold at bakers' stalls throughout eastern China.

Prep

40 min

Cook

20 min

Total

60 min

Serves

6 flatbreads

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) pork shoulder, finely chopped, with some fat for juiciness; do not use lean meat
• •400 g (14 oz) all-purpose flour
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) warm water, around 40 °C / 105 °F
• •8 g (2 tsp) freshly cracked black pepper, coarsely ground — this is the defining flavor
• •30 ml (2 Tbsp) soy sauce, light Chinese soy
• •15 ml (1 Tbsp) Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry
• •10 g (2 tsp) granulated sugar
• •8 g (1½ tsp) salt, plus extra for the dough
• •20 g (1 Tbsp + 2 tsp) toasted sesame oil
• •30 g (2 Tbsp) scallion, finely chopped, white and green parts
• •10 g (2 tsp) fresh ginger, grated
• •60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil, for pan-frying

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: stir the salt into the warm water. Add the flour to a bowl, pour in the salted water, and mix until shaggy. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
2. 2 Make the filling: combine the chopped pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, scallion, salt, and the freshly cracked black pepper. Stir in one direction for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive (this 'binds' the juices into the meat during cooking).
3. 3 Divide the rested dough into 6 equal pieces (about 75 g each). Roll each into a ball, then flatten into a disc roughly 12 cm / 4½ inches across and 3 mm thick.
4. 4 Place a heaping tablespoon of filling (about 50 g) in the center of each disc. Pleat the edges up around the filling, pinch firmly to seal, then flip seam-side down and gently pat into a flat round about 10 cm / 4 inches across — handle gently so the filling stays even inside.
5. 5 Heat a heavy flat pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add about 10 ml / 2 tsp of neutral oil and swirl to coat.
6. 6 Place a flatbread in the pan (seam side up). Cook 3–4 minutes until the underside is spotted golden, flip, and cook another 3–4 minutes until the second side is golden. Continue flipping every 1–2 minutes until the bread is evenly bronzed on both sides.
7. 7 Pork doneness cue: the flatbread is ready when the dough is fully cooked (matte, not raw-looking) and the internal temperature of the pork filling reads 71 °C / 160 °F on an instant-read thermometer. If the bread browns before the filling cooks, lower the heat and splash 2 Tbsp of water into the pan; cover and steam for 2 minutes.
8. 8 Serve hot, as a snack or alongside a simple soup and pickles. Best eaten the day it is made.