Ingredients

Ingredients

Buns:

• 1 recipe Chinese Steamed Buns, or about 15 store-bought frozen gua bao buns
• 1 recipe Milk Bread Buns

Proteins (3 to 4, total of 3 pounds bone-in or 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless meat, preferably uncut):

• Chinese roast duck
• Chinese crispy-skinned roast pork
• Cha siu (Chinese BBQ pork)
• Chinese white cut or soy sauce chicken
• Steamed Chinese sausage
• Sliced and cooked firm tofu, such as honey sesame tofu or crispy tofu

Garnishes (at least 4):

• Scallions
• Cucumbers
• Fresh cilantro
• Chinese pickled mustard greens
• Fried shallots or French-fried onions
• Chopped roasted peanuts

Sauces (2 to 3):

• Hoisin sauce
• Sriracha hot sauce or chili oil
• Chili crisp or chile-garlic paste
• Ginger-scallion oil
• Peanut sauce
• Chinese prepared hot mustard
• Char siu sauce, such as Lee Kum Kee

Instructions

1. If the proteins and steamed buns need to be warmed up or resteamed, heat the oven to 325ºF and prepare a steamer. Place the proteins that need to be reheated in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet (if the meat is whole and bone-in, cut large sections of the meat off the bone first). Bake until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes. Gently steam Chinese sausages or steamed chicken for 10 minutes if needed. Reheat a few steamed buns in the steamer for 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut up the garnishes: Thinly slice cucumbers into half-moons or cut into matchsticks. Cut scallions crosswise into 2-inch pieces, then cut lengthwise into thin threads. Trim fresh cilantro into pieces that will fit neatly in the buns. Coarsely chop Chinese pickled mustard greens.
3. Use a rimmed baking sheet or large platter or serving board that’s about the same size. Lay all the ingredients out on the work surface, then arrange the ingredients on the board in this order:

• Place sauces and garnishes that would be served with a spoon or are very wet (like the mustard greens) in very small bowls. Place on the board, spacing them out.
• Split milk bread buns in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place 3 to 4 milk bread buns and 3 to 4 steamed buns on the platter, stacking them slightly askew. Place the remaining milk bread buns in a basket or on a plate next to the board. Keep the remaining steamed buns warm in a steamer or warm and replenish as needed.
• Cut the proteins crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices (trim tofu to fit buns if needed). Cut Chinese sausages crosswise on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces. Shingle and arrange the proteins on the board, piling them as needed but not overcrowding (you probably won’t fit all the protein - the remaining can be used to replenish the board as needed).
• Fill in the last gaps on the board with the cucumbers, cilantro, and scallions.
• Add small spoons or spreading knives to the bowls of sauces and garnishes.
• Place a small plate of warm steamed buns next to the board right before serving.

Replenish with the sauces, garnishes, and more warmed steamed buns as needed.

Recipe Notes

Bun substitutes: The milk bread buns can be substituted with Hawaiian rolls and frozen steamed buns can be substituted for the homemade.

Make ahead: The steamed buns can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. The baked buns can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. The cucumber, scallions, and cilantro can be cut up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in separate airtight containers.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.