There’s nothing more Asian than eating freshly steamed pork buns. I love eating these at my favourite Chinese restaurants. And whenever I eat it, I feel like I’m in a different world. That’s why I tried an easy recipe for making pork buns.
Steamed Pork Buns
Print RecipeIngredients
- Dough Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast
- 3/4 cup of warm water
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil plus more for oiling the bowl
- 2 1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 pinch of table salt
- Pork Filling Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 2 pounds of country-style pork ribs, bone-in or boneless
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce, divided
- 1/4 cup of water
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing rice wine (Sherry is a good substitute)
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 tablespoons of lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger root
- Lettuce or cabbage leaves for steaming
Instructions
Dough Instructions
- Add water and yeast to a small bowl. Once foamy, add the oil and whisk to combine.
- Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture and mix into a soft, pliable dough.
- Turn dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth, pliable and elastic (Dough should not be sticky at this point. Knead in small amounts of additional flour if it is.) Place dough into a medium-size oiled bowl (or place on a Silpat and cover with the oiled bowl like in my photo), cover with plastic wrap and place it in the warmest part of your kitchen to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Pressure Cooker Method Instructions
- Heat a pressure cooker to medium-high and add oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot already, add the pork and sear on all sides until golden brown.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of the hoisin sauce and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, whisking well to combine. Pour sauce over pork, lock the lid and cook for 45 minutes on high once pressure is reached.
Alternate Cooking Method Instructions
- Place salt-and-pepper-seasoned meat into a pan that has been preheated with 1 tablespoon of oil. Brown on all sides, add hoisin mixture, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until meat is fall-apart tender, approximately 1 – 1/2 hours. This can also be done in a 325-degree oven.
- Once the meat is cooked, place it in a medium bowl and shred the pork using 2 forks. Add 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid and the remaining 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce to the pork and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more cooking liquid if the mixture seems too dry. Set mixture aside while preparing the dough.
Bun Assembly Instructions
- Line some lettuce or cabbage leaves to a steamer, leaving areas open to allow steam to pass through.
- Divide dough into 8 – 12 equal portions, depending on how big you want your buns to be. Roll each portion into a round ball. Shape the balls into discs about 4 inches in diameter, leaving the middle just a bit thicker than the edges. Spoon about a tablespoon in the centre of each round. Pull the edges up and pleat the dough around the filling, pinching as you work your way around the entire circle.
Bun Steaming Instructions
- Put water into a wok or large pot with a depth of 3 inches and heat over medium-high heat to a strong simmer.
- Stack several bamboo steamers in a wok or use a steamer insert into the pot. Ensure that the steamer should not touch the surface of the water.
- Arrange buns in the steamer at least 1-inch apart. Cover steamer and steam buns for approximately 15 minutes or until they are puffed and fluffy.
- Serve immediately.
