Cha Sui Bao Recipes

CHAR SIU BAO (STEAMED PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• Heat oil in pan, sauté onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in char siu, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and red food color, if using. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and add salt to taste.
• Mix corn starch and water together, add to the filling. Simmer on low heat until the sauce is thickened.
• Remove the filling from pan. Let cool.
• Divide the filling into 16 portions. Set aside.
• Sift the flour, wheat starch and powdered sugar. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the yeast, lukewarm water and vinegar or lemon juice, if using. Gently dissolve the yeast with the water. Slowly bring together the flour mixture and add in the vegetable oil.
• Knead with hands for 15 minutes or until a soft dough is formed. It should be smooth and shiny on the surface.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise for 60 - 90 minutes or until it expands in size.
• Dissolve the baking powder with the cold water, sprinkle over the dough and knead until well combined. For fluffier buns, rest the dough for 10 minutes after baking powder is added.
• Cut and divide the dough to 16 equal portions.
• Using a rolling pin, roll and flatten each dough ball to a 3" circle. Place a portion of the filling in the middle.
• Wrap and fold the dough up.
• Pinch and twist to enclose the opening. Make sure the char siu bao is sealed tight at the top. Place it on a 2" x 3" piece of parchment paper. Repeat the same until you make 16 buns.
• Arrange the buns on a steamer, leave about 1" gap in between buns. Spray water mist over buns, and steam in a preheated steamer on high heat for 10 minutes. (You may add 1 teaspoon of Chinese white vinegar to make the char siu bao white.)
• Remove buns from the steamer, serve warm.

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.

BAKED PORK BUN (CHAR SIU BAO)

Steps:

• For the marinade: Mix the chicken base, soy sauce, sugar, food coloring, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cut pork in half horizontally to make two long, flat thin pieces (for better flavor penetration). Put the pork in a stainproof container or resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Marinate 20 minutes in the fridge.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top. Remove pork from the marinade and place on rack. Roast, about 45 minutes. Let pork rest for 10 minutes, then dice.
• For the dough: Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, butter, yeast, egg and 1/2 cup warm water in a mixing bowl and blend for 10 minutes. Let sit for 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut twelve 3-inch pieces of wax paper and set aside.
• Roll dough by hand into a cylinder with a 1 1/4-inch diameter. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten into a 3-inch pancake.
• Add some pork to the center of a pancake, then fold the edges of the dough over the pork and bring together. Repeat with remaining pancakes and pork, placing completed buns on squares of wax paper.
• Place completed filled buns on waxed paper and brush tops with mayonnaise and condensed milk. Bake, about 15 minutes.

CHAR SIU BAO (PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• To make meat:.
• Combine marinade. Marinate pork at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Cooking methods:.
• a) place meat on a roasting pan with a rack -- with the pan below filled with water and roast at 350 F until done (turn over half way through) OR.
• b) cook in a crock pot with 3 cups of water for 1 hour on high and then 7 hours on low or until it flakes apart (this is the method I have used) OR.
• c) you could try grilling or broiling the meat, but it might lack some of the moisture that the other two methods will give you.
• To make filling:.
• Sauté ginger in hot peanut oil, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix with hoisin, chili paste, green onions and meat. Let cool.
• To make dough:.
• Mix yeast, sugar and warm water; let proof (sit and rise) for about 10 minutes.
• Place flours and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, if available. (This can also be done by hand).
• Add yeast mixture. Knead until homogeneous and dough forms a ball.
• Let rise in a cool place to minimize air bubbles, about 15 minutes.
• Portion dough into 16 balls, flatten them, and place a small amount of filling into the center of each.
• Pinch back to close and form a ball shape.
• Place balls on lightly oiled piece of parchment or waxed paper (oiled plastic wrap would probably work too). Let proof 15 minutes, or until double in size.
• Place in a covered steamer, and cook for 8-10 minutes.
• Eat now or cool completely and freeze in ziplock bags (to reheat: steam 10 minutes).
• Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

CHA SUI 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.
• Note: Hoisin sauce, also called Peking sauce, is a thick, reddish-brown sauce that is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chili peppers and various spices. It can be found in Asian markets and many large supermarkets. Look in the Asian or ethnic section.