Italian Beef Bao Buns (Italian Baof)

A couple months ago I held a little pop up where I invented what I'm calling the Italian Baof. Juicy brisket, crunchy garlic chips, spicy giardeniera aioli, and sweet peppers cozy up in fluffy a bao bed. It's simple to make, delicious, and something you should f'sho make for yourself. Let me show you how! 🤘🏼 Adam

---

STUFF I USE...

Giardiniera

Truffle Mandolin (for garlic)

My Cookware Set

My Dutch Oven

Deli Containers

Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth)

Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids

Portable Single-burner Stove

Butane Torch

Butane Canisters

Coarse Reinforced Strainer

Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer

Sheet Trays

---

Italian “Baof” Sandwiches

Yield: 10-15 baos

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Italian "Boaf"

Ingredients

Italian Beef Brisket

• 3 pound Brisket Point or Flat or 10 pound whole packer brisket
• Italian Seasoning * see below
• Store bought frozen Bao Buns
• Kosher Salt, as needed

Italian Seasoning

• 1 1/2 Tbsp Fennel Seed
• 2 tsp Coriander Seed
• 2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Dried Basil
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Red Chili Flake

Giardiniera Aioli

• 2 cups Mayo
• 1 cup Giardiniera, plus some oil
• 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar, more to taste
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• ½ tsp MSG
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste

Garlic Chips (and oil)

• 20 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
• Refined Olive Oil

Roasted Sweet Peppers

• 1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced and seeded
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced and seeded

Instructions

Italian Beef Brisket

1. Trim excessive fat from brisket. Season all over with salt.
2. Rub with Italian Seasoning spice rub.
3. Bag the brisket and cook sous vide at 185F for 24 hours. Remove the brisket from the water and chill in fridge until solid, at least 4 hours.
4. Remove brisket from the bag. Reserve leftover juices.
5. Slice into 3x2 inch and ½ inch thick slabs, reserve until needed.
6. Reserve the liquid from the beef for dipping and steam the bao buns from frozen as needed.

Italian Seasoning

1. Blitz all whole spices. Mix into other seasonings.

Giardiniera Aioli

1. Add the egg, vinegar, paprika, MSG, salt, black pepper and drained giardinera to the blender and puree until smooth.
2. Slowly drizzle in the reserved giardiniera oil from the jar followed by the olive oil. Use more oil if needed to thicken the aioli.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning with more vinegar or salt if needed. The aioli should be spicy and zingy.

Garlic Chips (and oil)

1. Add the oil to a medium sauce pan and bring to 300F. Fry garlic until deeply golden brown, this will only take a few minutes. BE CAREFUL, it’s super easy to burn garlic and once you do there’s no going back. You’ll have to start over.
2. Remove the crispy garlic chips with a slotted spoon and set them on some paper towel to drain. Remove the oil from the heat

Roasted Sweet Peppers

1. Season the sliced bell peppers with salt. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until the peppers are just softened and begin to take on some color. Remove and let cool slightly before slicing.
2. Slice the bell peppers into long strips, reserve until needed.

To Build...

1. To the steamed bao bun, spoon on a glob of aioli, add the beef, sweet peppers, giardiniera (hot peppers) and top with garlic chips. Dip in beef jus for a true Italian Beef experience.

Adam's Notes

• Feel free to braise a whole brisket if you'd like leftover meat.

---

Disclaimer: I earn commission income with qualifying purchases made through Amazon’s Affiliate program and other affiliate links in this description.