Best Chinese Pork Buns Recipes

CHINESE PORK BUNS (CHA SIU BAO)

Steps:

• Dissolve 1/4 cup sugar in 1 3/4 cups warm water, and then add the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until mixture is frothy. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons shortening and the yeast mixture; mix well.
• Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover it with a sheet of cling wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has tripled in bulk.
• Cut the pork into 2 inch thick strips. Use fork to prick it all over. Marinate for 5 hours in a mixture made with 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce. Grill the pork until cooked and charred. Cut roasted port into 1/2 inch cubes.
• Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Mix cornstarch with 2 1/2 tablespoons water; add to the saucepan, and stir until thickened. Mix in 2 tablespoons lard or shortening, sesame oil, and white pepper. Cool, and mix in the roasted pork.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a long roll, and divide it into 24 pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of the hand to form a thin circle. The center of the circle should be thicker than the edge. Place one portion of the pork filling in the center of each dough circle. Wrap the dough to enclose the filling. Pinch edges to form the bun. Let the buns stand for 10 minutes.
• Steam buns for 12 minutes. Serve.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH BBQ PORK FILLING

Steps:

• Mix together pork, barbecue sauce, shallots, flour, chicken stock, soy sauce, oil, and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook the pork until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Allow to cool; shred or finely chop the meat.
• Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns (see footnote).
• Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a circle, (like won-ton wrappers). Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared meat mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seam-side down onto wax paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate, leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS (BBQ PORK AND PORK/VEGETABLE)

Steps:

• For Filling #1, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the shallots 2 minutes or until light brown. Add the flour, stir to combine, and cook 1 minute.
• Add the chicken stock, stir well, and cook 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and cook one minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in cut pork and oyster sauce, sugar, peanut oil, and sesame oil. Chill until very firm.
• For Filling #2, simply mix all ingredients together.
• To make the dough, combine all dough ingredients into a stand mixer. Mix with the dough hook for 4 minutes.
• Use the oil to grease the outside of the dough; cover and let rest in warm area 1 ½ hours or until double in size.
• Punch down dough and divide into 24 pieces.
• Using a rolling pin, roll each into a round disk, making quarter turn with each roll.
• Roll to leave the center thick; thinner edges are easier to pleat.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of filling at the center of each dough round, flat side up.
• Gather the edges by first pleating counterclockwise, and then twisting to seal securely. Place the bun round side up on a square piece of parchment paper (2.5 X 2.5 inches).
• Let buns rest, covered for at least 30 minutes.
• Steam on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not uncover the steamer any time during the steaming. If a flat lid steamer is used, wrap the lid in a kitchen towel to prevent condensed steam from dripping on the buns.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH BBQ PORK

Steps:

• Mix together pork, barbecue sauce, shallots, flour, chicken stock, soy sauce, oil, and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns. Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a circle, (like Won-Ton wrappers). Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared meat mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seams down onto wax paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.

CHINESE PORK BUNS

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup water, yeast, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon cake flour in a large bowl; let stand until top is beginning to form a layer of white foam, about 20 minutes. Add remaining cake flour (2 cups minus the 1 teaspoon) and stir gently using chopsticks until dough comes together. Knead dough until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let first dough stand in a warm place for 4 to 6 hours.
• Mix 2/3 cup water, ginger, spring onion, oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon corn flour, sesame oil, and white pepper in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool filling to room temperature; refrigerate.
• Spoon chilled filling over pork; mix well.
• Sift 1/2 cup corn flour, 3/8 cup cake flour, and baking powder together into a bowl. Add 3/8 cup sugar and cooking oil and mix well. Mix corn flour mixture into first dough, kneading until smooth. Roll dough into a ball. Cover ball with an inverted bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 to 15 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten the balls into rounds. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons filling into the center of each round and fold round around filling and seal. It's fine if the top is a bit thick, it just helps create the top flower look.
• Line bamboo steamers with parchment paper and arrange buns on top. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes. Close lids tightly.
• Bring 1 1/2 to 2 quarts water to a boil in a wok or large skillet for 10 minutes. Place steamers in the wok and steam buns over medium heat until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

CHINESE STEAMED BUNS WITH BARBECUED PORK FILLING

Steps:

• Place the warm water in a large bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Stir in 1 cup of the flour, and mix thoroughly. Cover with a cloth, and let stand until bubbles appear, about 20 minutes.
• Dissolve sugar and shortening in boiling water, and allow to cool to lukewarm. Stir into the yeast mixture along with the remaining flour. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Coat a large bowl with sesame oil, and place the dough inside. Turn over to coat, and cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add pork, and fry for a minute, then stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then stir the mixture into the pork. Cook, stirring constantly until the pork is coated with a thickened glaze. Remove to a bowl, and allow to cool.
• Remove the dough from the bowl, and roll it out into one long log. Slice the log into 1 inch pieces. Flatten each piece into a 3 inch circle using the palm of your hand or a rolling pin. Place 2 tablespoons of the pork filling onto the center of each circle, and gather up the edges around the filling and pinch together to close the bun. Place each bun seam side down onto a square of aluminum foil. Cover with a towel, and let rise for about 1 hour.
• Bring a couple inches of water to boil in a wok. Place a few buns at a time in a steamer, such as a bamboo steamer for a wok, or a fitted steam tray. Cover, and steam buns over briskly boiling water for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining buns.

CHINESE PORK-FILLED BUNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; blend in sugar and oil. Let stand in a warm place until bubbly (about 15 minutes).
• Add flour mixed with the salt and mix until dough holds together. This can be done in a heavy duty mixer with the dough hook or kneaded by hand for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour and 15 minutes).
• Meanwhile prepare the pork filling:.
• Combine the pork with garlic, ginger, sugar and soy sauce.
• Heat a fry pan or wok to medium high, add some oil and fry pork and onion until cooked through, turning down heat if necessary. Add the cooking sauce and cook until bubbling and hot.
• Cool completely.
• Turn dough out on floured board and knead for 1 minute. Divide into 12 even balls. With your hands make the dough ball into a 4 1/2" round, making the edges thinner then the rest of the round.
• Place about 2 tbs. filling in center of each round. Pull edges of dough up around filling and twist to seal. Place seam side down on a baking tray. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat oven to350F and when puffy and light, brush with melted butter and bake for about 15 minutes.