Xi'an Roujiamo on Crispy, Flaky Buns
Beijing resident Sean St John brings us this authoritative recipe for Xi’an’s ròujiāmó (肉夹馍), colloquially known as the “Chinese Hamburger” (or zhōngguó hànbǎo, 中国汉堡, in Mandarin). This man knows his roujiamo and knows that the best buns for it are not the most common ones you encounter:
"Xian's roujiamo is celebrated in cities all across China. So popular is roujiamo that I’ve spotted it all around the world, from Vienna to London to New York, captivating curious food lovers with its irresistible combination of tender meat and crispy flatbread. It’s a common on-the-go snack in Northern Chinese cities, but it’s so much more than a simple convenience food. This is how China does fast-food: slow-cooked hunks of pork chopped with onions, cilantro and sometimes green pepper, all stuffed into a freshly-baked bun.
"I’ve eaten hundreds of roujiamo over the years, all in the name of research, of course. Every cook has their version, technique or twist. This recipe brings the best of everything together—the crispiest bun, the most succulent meat stuffing and a perfectly balanced seasoning—to give you the ultimate roujiamo...."
While most roujiamo is served on "a kind of fluffier version of a pita bread...I personally think there’s a better roujiamo bun out there. You’ll find it in the small town of Tongguan, near Xi’an.
"Known as the Tongguan roujiamo (同官肉夹馍), this version uses a bun that takes things to another level: Flaky on the outside and soft within, it is almost like a round croissant. It’s a contrast of textures; each bite shatters into crisp shards, giving way to succulent, saucy chopped pork. Tongguan buns have now become popular all across Northern China, including in Xi’an, where they are sometimes also called 'thousand-layer pancakes,' due to the rolling and folding technique involved in making them...
"The Tongguan roujiamo might be the most challenging variation, but it’s also the best. Fear not; my recipe will guide you through and break it down so you can get it right every time."
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