Cooking Lesson #565: China Rose Dim Sum Pork Buns Char Siu Bao

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’?  Char Siu Bao Dim Sum Pork Buns were best-selling dim sum food at my China Rose restaurant. Little wonder why… just look at these beautiful little buns. I make these with Chinese barbecued pork filling with lots of seasoning and spices—it is utterly delicious and the perfect bite.
 
Baos are made with a simple steamed yeasted dough that creates a soft and pillowy texture. If you’ve never tasted one, it’s a bit like eating a cloud.
 
Remember to temper the buns in the steamer basket for five minutes after they’ve steamed, which keeps them from cooling too quickly and deflating.
 
Ed’s Comment:  This is a complex recipe—it is fairly easy but daunting just the same. You would be forgiven to just read it and see how much effort goes into the restaurant dim sum that looks so easy when the cart comes to your table. If you’ve got some time on a rainy day, give it a try.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Marinade time:  8 hours or overnight
Cook time:  50 minutes
Yield: 16 buns (with leftover pork for a great stir fried rice)
 
Ingredients
For the char siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder/pork butt (select a piece with some good fat on it)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
4 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Water for the roasting pan
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hot water
 
Directions

1. Cut the pork into long strips or chunks about 2 to 3 inches thick. Don’t trim any excess fat—it will render and add flavor.
2. Combine the sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, molasses, food coloring (if using) and garlic in a bowl to make the marinade (the BBQ sauce).
3. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of marinade and set it aside. Rub the pork with the rest of the marinade and place it in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours). Cover and store the reserved marinade in the fridge as well.
4. About an hour before you are ready to cook the pork, remove it from the refrigerator and let it lose its chill on the counter.
5. Preheat your oven to 475⁰ F with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven.
6. Line a sheet pan with foil and place a metal rack on top. Using the metal rack keeps the pork off the pan and allows it to roast more evenly, like it does in commercial ovens.
7. Place the pork on the rack, leaving as much space as possible between pieces. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the pan below the rack. This prevents any drippings from burning or smoking making it easier to clean.
8. Transfer the pork to your preheated oven. Roast for 25 minutes, keeping the oven setting at 475⁰ F for the first 10 minutes of roasting, and then reduce your oven temperature to 375⁰ F.
9. After 25 minutes, flip the pork. If the bottom of the pan is dry, add another half cup of water. Turn the pan 180 degrees to ensure even roasting. Roast another 15 minutes. Throughout the roasting time, check your char siu often (every 10 minutes) and reduce the oven temperature if it looks like it is burning!
10. Meanwhile, combine the reserved marinade with the honey and 1 tablespoon hot water. This will be the sauce you’ll use for basting the pork.
11. After 40 minutes of total roasting time, baste the pork, flip it, and baste the other side as well. Roast for a final 10 minutes.
12. The pork has cooked for 50 minutes total and should be cooked through and caramelized on top. If it’s not caramelized to your liking, you can turn the broiler on for a couple minutes to crisp the outside and add some color/flavor. Be sure not to walk away during this process, since the sweet char siu BBQ sauce can burn if left unattended.
13. Using a meat thermometer check if the internal temperature of the pork has reached 160⁰ F.
14. Remove from the oven and baste with the remaining reserved BBQ sauce. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
15. You are now ready to make the bao filling.

Ingredients
For the char siu filling
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
8 ounces diced char siu (use the recipe above)
 
Directions

1. In a small saucepan, mix the water, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil.
2. Cook the sauce over medium heat until it bubbles.
3. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring. The sauce should thicken considerably.
4. Remove the sauce from the heat and add in the diced char siu.
5. Cool to room temperature before filling the baos.

                                             Steamed Buns (Baos)
 Ingredients 
For the bao dough
3/4 cup warm water (about 110⁰ F)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Non-stick cooking spray as needed
Chili oil, for serving
 
You will need a steamer (bamboo steamer or steamer insert for your double boiler (with at least 2 steam trays) and 2 parchment liners.
 
Directions
To make the dough

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, yeast and sugar until the yeast dissolves. Let the mixture sit until the yeast foams; about 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. Add the yeast and oil and stir until combined.
3. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and soft. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If the dough looks sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough feels dry, add a few drops of water at a time.
4. Spray a medium bowl with non-stick cooking spray, place the dough in it, and spray the dough lightly with more cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest until it doubles in size; about 1 hour.
5. Punch the dough down to get rid of the air bubbles and then portion it into 16 dough balls. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
6. Cut parchment paper into 16 3 X 3-inch squares; set aside.
7. Lightly flour a surface and roll out a dough ball, working from the edge to the center — so that the center is slightly thicker than the edges—rotating frequently, until it forms a 4-inch circle.
8. Add about 2 tablespoons of pork filling to the center of the dough circle. Pull the edges of the dough up and over the filling. Use your thumb to push the filling down as you gather the edges into a pleat with your fingers to cover the filling. It may seem like a tight fit at first, but the dough will stretch as you pull it around the filling. Twist the top to seal the bun and pinch off any excess dough.
9. Set the bun on a piece of the prepared parchment paper and place it in a steamer tray lined with parchment. Repeat until all the buns are assembled.
10. Place the bamboo steamer with the buns above a large pot of water and cover with the lid. Rest the buns for about 20 minutes.
11. Heat the water over high heat until it starts to boil and steam, reduce the heat to medium and steam the buns for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, keep the cover on the steamer, and let the buns rest for 5 minutes.
12. Enjoy immediately with chili oil, hoisin, soy or duck sauce.

ChefSecret:  If not using all 16 buns, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Quip of the Day:  “Life should be more like dim sum. We should all learn to get Oolong.”
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