Cha Siu Bao

My first foray into steamed Chinese food.  As adorable as bamboo steamers are, you don't need to go to extra expense for this.  Get out that big soup pot and fill it with an inch or so of water.  I used a wire pot stand, but you could poke a lot of holes in a sturdy pie tin with a Phillips screwdriver to make a steaming platform.  Use your inner MacGyver to improvise until you know that steaming is something you want to do often.

I cheated on the sauce.  There was actual cha siu (Chinese barbecue) sauce at 99 Ranch.  To do it yourself, see the original recipe I used as my source.  I can't think of why I would need 12 ounces of oyster sauce, so I went for the easy way out.  You'll also notice in that recipe that the dough recipe has somewhat different amounts.  I made one batch following the 24 serving amounts and split it between the red bean buns and these bao, so I estimated the quantities here to match the amount of filling.

I didn't grill my pork, I did it in the oven.  Maybe it was a fluke, but it came out really well.  I'm definitely going to make it that way again.

1/2 lb pork shoulder roast
1/2 C cha siu sauce, divided
4 C flour
3 Tb sugar
1-1/3 C water
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tb shortening

1.  Cut pork into 2-inch thick slices and coat with half of the sauce.  Marinate for several hours.

2.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Roast pork for 20 mintues, until thermometer reaches 155º.  Remove and allow to cool slightly.  Chop into 1/2" cubes and toss with remaining sauce.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

3.  Add sugar and yeast to warm water and let sit until foamy, about 10 mintues.  Combine 2 C flour, baking powder, and shortening in a large bowl.  Add water mixture and beat into a batter.  Add another cup of flour and beat into a dough.  Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth, adding flour as necessary, about 10 minutes.  Set in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until tripled, about 2 hours.

4.  Punch down dough and let rest 10 minutes.  With a food scale, measure out 2 oz portions.  Round pieces into balls and let rest 5 minutes.

5.  Press each ball into a 4-inch circle.  Place 2 Tb pork filling on each and pinch up sides to make a dumpling with a puckered top.  Place on a small square of parchment or waxed paper and let rise 10 minutes.

6.  Boil 1 inch of water in a large pot and set up a steaming rack.  Place bao in steamer at least 2 inches apart.  I got 5 in at a time.  Put lid on pot and steam for 12 minutes per batch.  Don't worry about the ones left waiting their turn.  A little more rising time won't hurt them.  Serve immediately.

Makes about 12

Difficulty rating :-0