Steamed Buns with Roast Pork Filling
Print This Recipe
INGREDIENTS 1 recipe Steamed Bread Dough, prepared according to directions
THE FILLING
2 tablespoons peanut oil or flavorless vegetable oil
1 pound roast pork, prepared according to recipe, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold chicken stock, fresh or canned, or cold waterPREPARE AHEAD
TO MAKE THE FILLING
Set a 12-inch wok or 10-inch skillet over high heat for about 30 seconds. Pour in 1 tablespoon of oil, and swirl it about in the pan and heat for 30 seconds, turning heat down to moderate if the oil begins to smoke. Add the chopped pork and stir-fry for 1 minute, and then stir in the sugar and soy sauce. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir to recombine it and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for another 10 seconds, or until the mixture thickens and the pork is covered with a clear glaze. Immediately transfer the entire contents of the pan to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
On a lightly floured surface, form the dough with your hands into a long, sausage-like roll 2 inches in diameter. With a sharp knife, slice the roll into 1-inch rounds. Flatten each round with the palm of your hand, then with a rolling pin, roll out each round into a disc 4-inches in diameter, turning it counterclockwise as you roll to keep its circular shape.
Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each round. With your fingers, gather the sides of the dough up around the filling in loose folds meeting at the top. Then twist the top on the dough firmly closed.
Place the buns on 2-inch squares of waxed paper, cover them with a dry kitchen towel and let the rolls rise again for 30 minutes, or until the dough springs back slowly when poked gently with a finger.
TO COOK
Pour enough boiling water into the lower part of a steamer to come within an inch of the cooking rack. If you have steamer trays, arrange the buns an inch apart on two trays and steam them all at one time. In single steamers, place half of the buns on the rack in the steamer, leaving 1-inch spaces between them. Over high heat, bring the water in the steamer to a boil, cover the pan tightly and steam for 10 minutes. Then transfer the buns to a heated plate. If you are doing 2 batches, return the first batch of buns to the steamer after the second batch is done, piling them on the buns still on the rack. Reheat together for 3 to 4 minutes. Arrange the buns on a heated platter and serve hot.
Makes about 2 dozen buns