4 h 0 min

Step 1

Start with the short rib: dry the short rib with a paper towel. Coat with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 2

In a hot cast iron pan, add avocado and sear the short rib to perfection (you really wanna get a good browned crust).

Step 3

Drain some of the fat, then remove the short rib and set aside. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook until soften, scrape the pan.

Step 4

Add the tomato paste and cook for several more minutes.

Step 5

Deglaze the pan with red wine and reduce by half, continuing to scrape the pan.

Step 6

Add the short rib back to the pan and cover with beef stock. The meat should be nearly covered, then add the rosemary and thyme.

Step 7

Let the meat cook low and slow in a preheated oven at 350F or 170C for 3 hours or until very tender (you can also cook on the stove on low heat).

Step 8

Make the bao: to a stand mixer’s bowl, add the ingredients in that sequence- water, yeast, sugar, egg, flour, oil and salt.

Step 9

Set you mixer on slowest speed and knead for 12 min (if you don’t have a stand mixer you can knead the dough by hand for 14 minutes).

Step 10

Round the dough into a tight ball and let it rest, covered, until doubled in size.

Step 11

After the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 10 gr pieces. Yes, these are very small pieces.

Step 12

Open each piece with your hand into a strand, keeping the center thicker than the edges. It will result in a beautiful bao.

Step 13

Braid the strands into a beautiful tiny challah, and place it on a piece of parchment paper, a little bigger than the challah.

Step 14

Place the challah (on the parchment paper) in a bamboo steaming basket. Your challah baos are gonna proof in the basket so we don’t need to transfer them once they are proofed and ready to be cooked.

Step 15

In the meantime make the quick slaw: cut the veggie into thin juliennes, add the sugar, salt and sherry vinegar. Set aside.

Step 16

Once the challah baos have doubled in size, steam them for 10 min.

Step 17

Remove the short rib from the pan, you know they are ready when they break apart super easily.

Step 18

Reduce the juices from the pan into a beautiful sauce by simply cooking down the juices on high heat, stirring constantly.

Step 19

Open a challah bao in half, add a Tbsp of short rib, decorate with the slaw, and add the reduced juices on top.

Step 20

What a bite! YASSS!