Juntun Guokui
军屯锅盔·(jūntún guōkuī)
The 7:30 AM Awakening: Sichuan Breakfasts
On the streets of Chengdu, these laminated meat pies are slapped onto the inner walls of a coal-fired oil drum until the excess fat renders out and the pastry shatters on impact. For those of us cooking in an Ohio suburb without a modified tandoor, a cast-iron skillet and a hot oven do the exact same thermodynamic heavy lifting. The secret lies in a semi-fermented dough, a lard-based roux, and an unapologetic dose of freshly toasted Sichuan peppercorns—a grandmother-approved maneuver that brings unadulterated homeland flavor to a Tuesday morning.
Before you start
Toast and grind the peppercorns.
Place the whole Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they smoke lightly and release a citrusy aroma, then pulverize into a fine powder.
Mix the meat filling.
Combine the ground pork, scallion whites, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, white pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the fresh peppercorn powder, stirring vigorously in one direction until it forms a sticky paste.
Create the oil roux.
Mix the lard, 3 tablespoons of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of peppercorn powder until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour2 1/3 cup
- instant dry yeast1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- warm water3/4 cup
- ground pork7 oz
- whole Sichuan peppercorns1 tbsp
- scallions2 tbsp
- fresh ginger1 tbsp
- light soy sauce1 tbsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- white pepper1/4 tsp
- lard2 tbsp
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- white sesame seeds1/4 cup
- neutral oil1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Form the semi-fermented dough.
Whisk the 2 1/3 cups of flour, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add the warm water, mix into shaggy flakes, and knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth.
- 02
Rest the dough briefly.
Lightly coat the dough in oil, cover with a damp towel, and let it rest for exactly 20 to 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes without fully proofing.
- 03
Divide and stretch.
On an oiled surface, divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll each into a 4-by-12-inch translucent rectangle.
- 04
Laminate and fill.
Smear a thin layer of the oil roux over the entire rectangle, then spread a spoonful of the meat filling over the top two-thirds.
- 05
Roll and flatten.
Starting from the meat-covered end, roll the dough down tightly into a cylinder, stand it upright, and press straight down with your palm to form a half-inch thick disc.
- 06
Garnish with sesame seeds.
Brush the top of each disc lightly with water and press it gently into a shallow plate of white sesame seeds.
- 07
Shallow fry to set the crust.
Heat a quarter-inch of neutral oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat and fry the discs seed-side down for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply golden.
- 08
Bake to shatter.
Transfer the fried guokui to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes to render out the fat and cook the interior layers through.
Notes
Activate the flavor.
Never buy pre-ground Sichuan peppercorns; toasting and grinding whole berries unlocks the compound that provides the dish's signature numbing tingle.
Emulsify the meat.
Stirring the pork filling vigorously in one direction causes the proteins to bind, creating a cohesive paste that won't fall out of the pastry layers when you take a bite.
The weeknight freeze.
These freeze beautifully after the final bake; on a chaotic morning, bypass the microwave and reheat them straight from frozen in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
From Cook Sichuan in America.