Char Siu pork bao
Makes 10
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 1½ hours
Resting time: 1½ - 2½ hours
Cooking time: 1½ hours
Ingredients
600g of pork neck
2 tbsp white vinegar
Bao buns
530g of plain flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp salt
7g of fast-action dried yeast
40g of caster sugar
15g of baking powder
50ml of milk
200-250ml warm water
25ml of vegetable oil
Marinade
4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
2cm ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp five spice
½ tsp white pepper
1 tbsp tomato purée
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
4 tbsp honey
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
2 tsp sesame oil
Method
Mix the marinade ingredients and add the pork. Leave for at least 1½ hours but up to overnight.
Put the flour, baking powder, salt, yeast and sugar into a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn on the mixer and very slowly add the milk, 25ml oil and 200ml of water and mix on low for 2 minutes. If the dough feels dry or isn’t mixing properly then add more water, a tbsp at a time. Turn the mixer up to high and mix again for another 2 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft.
Remove the dough from the bowl, rub the inside of the bowl with oil. Dust the dough with flour and shape into a ball. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm room for 1½- 2 hours until doubled in size. I know when the dough is done when I push my finger in and it leaves a dent.
Preheat the oven to 160c. Put the meat on a tray and put into the oven for 1-1½ hours, basting every 20 minutes or so.
Once the dough has doubled in size, cut the dough into 10 equal sized pieces, roll into a ball and with a rolling pin flatten - you want an elongated oval shape. Once you have your shape, fold the dough over but don’t press down! Cover with a damp tea towel and leave for another 15-20 minutes.
To steam, half fill your wok with boiling water - you need enough to cook the buns but you don’t want the buns to touch the water. Put the buns on a piece of parchment paper and put into your steamer, you don’t want them to touch as they do puff up. These will take 12-15 minutes but, since you can’t lift the lid once you start to steam, I err on the side of caution and leave it closer to 15 minutes.
Cut your pork and put into your buns.
- Original recipe by Jeremy Pang and taken from Hong Kong Diner