Baozi (steamed buns with pork and cabbage)

This is a familiar dimsum item that is easily prepared at home. Basically a meatball sandwich, it is portable and easy to eat so it is always a good thing to have in the house. You can prepare the whole recipe and freeze extras individually. My son loves this for breakfast and I like that I only have to steam it in the microwave and breakfast is ready! You can use a microwave steamer or just enclose the bun in a wet paper towel – to make clean up easier. We all lead busy lives, I won’t judge! 😊

I like this recipe because the filling tastes like a big ball of Gyoza, but my husband is not crazy for it, so I make it less often than the actual Char Siu buns (called Siopao in the Philippines).

Ingredients:

2 recipes Lotus bun dough (recipe link: https://athomewiththeresa.com/2020/06/15/lotus-leaf-bread-cua-pao-gua-pao-buns-he-ye-bao/)

FOR FILLING:

1 pound ground pork

1 pound chinese cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

1 stalk green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 egg

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

2 teaspoon shaoxing wine

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Procedure:

Prepare dough and let rest until doubled.

Prepare filling: brown half of the ground pork in a skillet, drain and cool. Mix with the rest of the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Divide dough into 20-24 balls. Keep dough balls in a covered bowl. Working with one dough at a time, roll out into a circle about 5-6 inches. Then go back and roll the edges thinner.

Place about 2 tablespoons filling in the middle. Pull up edges, fold over into pleats and press to seal. Continue until the filling is enclosed. Twist and pinch tops.