Xi'an braised pork burger (Roujiamo)

1. Cut the pork belly into 5 cm pieces, bring to the boil in cold water, cook for 3 minutes, then rinse. Caramelise the sugar with a little water in a pan and toss the meat in it.

2. Add the water, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, star anise, cinnamon, sliced ginger, spring onions and salt and simmer covered over low heat for 2-2.5 hours until the meat is tender.

3. Meanwhile mix the flour with the yeast, add the lukewarm water and oil and knead into a smooth dough; cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.

4. Divide the dough into 6, roll each piece into a long strip, roll it up and flatten the coil into a disc 1.5 cm thick; rest for 15 minutes.

5. Cook the discs in a dry frying pan over low heat for 4-5 minutes per side until they rise and are spotted brown, then slit them open halfway from the side.

6. Roughly chop the meat with the green chillies and coriander, moisten with a little cooking liquid and fill the buns.

Tip: Often called the "Chinese hamburger", it has a history of over two thousand years in Xi'an. The leftover cooking liquid makes an excellent base for noodle soups and keeps for months frozen.