Chinese Style Meat Buns
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![char siu-1-11 Cut open Chinese Style Meat Buns](https://www.jocooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/char-siu-1-11.jpg)
If you’ve ever been to a Chinese bakery you have seen this type of meat buns among many other delicious goodies. These buns are also called pork buns, or Char Siu Bao which basically is a barbecued pork filled bun. They can be either steamed or baked as I chose to make mine. I have never tried the steamed ones, only baked, but I’m sure they are just as good. Char Siu refers to the pork filling and bao means bun. There’s my Chinese lesson of the day. 🙂
Since I always have to try and make at home what I see and like at bakeries or restaurants, my challenge this time was to make these pork filled buns. Not that it’s much of a challenge, they’re pretty easy to make. I loved them, they turned out amazing and they were gone in no time.
The dough is quite a simple dough with simple ingredients. In a small bowl, mix the warm water, sugar and yeast and let it sit until it starts foaming, for about 15 minutes. In a large bowl add the flour and to it add the egg, oil, salt and the yeast mixture.
Mix it all together using your hands, if you find the dough too sticky just add more flour. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few more minutes, until it becomes elastic. Â Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled in size, in a warm spot.
While the dough is resting we can make the filling. I used one pork loin that was about 1 1/2 lb in weight. To make the marinade, is simple as well. Cut up the pork loin in small pieces and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, add the garlic and ginger paste, vegetable oil, honey, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, wine, pepper, salt, five spice powder, and sesame oil. Whisk everything all together and add the pork to it. Let the pork marinate for about 1 hour, or until the dough is almost ready.
Heat a skillet, over medium heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to it. When the oil is hot add the pork mixture including the marinade to it and cook until the pork is cooked thoroughly, for about 5 minutes. Before removing it from heat, add the green onions to it and mix well.
After all this is said and done the dough should have doubled in size nicely.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a disc, so that it’s about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Place heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture in the middle of it.
Seal the bun by gathering up the edges of the disc.
Place the sealed side down bun, on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls and meat mixture.
Brush the buns with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 350 F degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the buns are nice and golden brown.
They look so good and are so delicious, you will love them.
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Chinese Style Meat Buns
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup water (water)
- 2½ teaspoon dry yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 3 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 pork loin (1 1/2 lb)
- 2 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 sprigs green onion (finely chopped)
Egg wash
- 1 egg (beaten)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the warm water, sugar and yeast and let it sit until it starts foaming, for about 15 minutes. In a large bowl add the flour and to it add the egg, oil, salt and the yeast mixture.
- Mix it all together using your hands, if you find the dough too sticky just add more flour. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few more minutes, until it becomes elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise until doubled in size, in a warm spot.
- Cut up the pork loin in small pieces and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, add the garlic and ginger paste, vegetable oil, honey, Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, wine, pepper, salt, five spice powder, and sesame oil. Whisk everything all together and add the pork to it. Let the pork marinate for about 1 hour, or until the dough is almost ready.
- Heat a skillet, over medium heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to it. When the oil is hot add the pork mixture including the marinade to it and cook until the pork is cooked thoroughly, for about 5 minutes. Before removing it from heat, add the green onions to it and mix well.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a disc, so that it’s about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Place heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture in the middle of it.
- Seal the bun by gathering up the edges of the disc.
- Place the sealed side down bun, on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls and meat mixture.
- Brush the buns with egg wash and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the buns are nice and golden brown.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.