Steamed BBQ Pork Buns - Char Sui Bao

PERFECT

This takes quite a bit of prep but it’s super delicious and worth it. Luckily I have time on my hands and a recipe I’ve been dying to try. Normally I’d go out for dumplings and bao once a month, so I’m feeling the lack of it in my life.

I haven’t gone super traditional with the pork for the filling, usually it would be made with roasted pork shoulder. I didn’t want to make loads, so I improvised with a small cut - pork chops. It was still very good!

Also please look up a good video for the pleating technique because mine are unforgivably messy.

Makes 10 buns, serves 2 with leftovers.

Ingredients for the pork marinade

• 2 pork chops
• 2 tsp honey
• ½ tsp five spice powder
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp hoi sin sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Pinch salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients for the pork filling

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 shallots or 1 red onion, diced finely
• 1 carrot, grated
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp hoi sin sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ cup pork or chicken stock
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Diced roast pork, from above

Ingredients for the bun dough

• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 175ml warm water
• 300g plain flour
• 45g cornflour
• 20g sugar
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 2 tsp baking powder

Method

Begin with the pork chops. Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the pork chops for 2 hours.

Now you can crack on with the bao. Put the yeast in a bowl and pour over the water. Add the plain flour, cornflour, sugar, vegetable oil and mix well. Kneed for 5 minutes until soft and silky smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 2 hours.

Okay, just chill for a bit, things need to marinate and rise.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Roast the pork chops in their delicious marinade for 15-20 minutes until crispy and nice.

Now, prep the filling. Heat the oil, fry off the onion and carrot for a few minutes until soft. Add in the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, hoi sin sauce, garlic, paprika and ginger. Mix well and let bubble for a few minutes. Sprinkle over the flour, then pour in the stock little by little, stirring well.  Let bubble away for a few minutes until thickened.

Remove the pork from the oven, dice it up into small chunks and stir into the filling mixture.

Take off the heat and set aside.

Now turn your attention back to the dough. Sprinkle over the baking powder and kneed gently for a few minutes until incorporated. Cover again and let sit for 15 minutes.

Boil the kettle for steaming.

Separate the dough into two. Roll each into a long tube and divide each tube into 5 pieces (so 10 total). Press into a vague circle about 10cm wide, making it slightly thinner at edges.

Add a generous tsp of filling and pleat the buns until sealed. You might want to google a video for this, mine were VERY messy.

Place each bun on some greaseproof paper while you make them all.

When they're done, put the buns on a pressed out cupcake liner (or be smarter than me and place them directly on the liners rather than the greaseproof middle step). Add boiling water to the bottom pot, place the steamer on top, place the buns in the basket of the steamer and put the lid on.

Allow to steam in the steamer (I had a metal one, but bamboo is more traditional) over a high heat for 13-14 minutes.

Serve immediately and chow down.