Pork and Chinese Chive Steamed Buns

These Pork and Chinese Chive Steamed Buns represent a cross between two of my favorite hobbies, bread baking and wok cooking. 

These pork-filled buns are made with a yeasted dough, the same dough that you would make bao buns, but shaped like a dumpling or pan-fried bun. This is the type of dough that might be used in array of dishes for dim sum. 

Chinese Steamed Buns:

Chinese steamed buns are kind of like a meal in a bun. They are typically filled with pork, other meats, vegetables, and even sweets. I filled these steamed buns with a mixture of pork and Chinese Chives, along with lots of other flavorful ingredients, including Napa cabbage, onions, scallions, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil. 

Chinese chives are usually found in Asian grocery stores. If you can't find them, regular chives will work just fine. Other wonderful fillings can include chicken and vegetables, pork and scallions, and beef and sweet onions. 

Most folks, when they think of steamed buns, think of Char Sui Bao, which are buns filled with barbecued pork. They are such a popular snack in Asia. That's pretty much where my mind goes too. However, there are so many other ways to fill these amazing buns, including with a sweet filling. As a bread baker, the hardest part for me to get used to is the look of these buns. Because they aren't browned in the oven, they kind of look like raw dough. Right? 

Regardless of how these buns look, they are fully cooked, and pretty much amazing. They just might be a new obsession. The dough for these buns is sweet and aromatic, and does not contain salt. If you intend to fill them with a sweet filling, I recommend adding about 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the dough. Otherwise, you will not miss the salt with any savory fillings. I am so excited about these steamed buns, and I'm now obsessed about making more. In fact, I can't wait to try making these with an array of fillings! 

Note: For these buns, I used a dipping sauce of soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar and a bit of chile garlic sauce.

Ingredients: 

For the Filling:

Ground Pork: October is national pork month, so naturally, I had to make a dish with pork. I used ground pork. I prefer a ground pork with a slightly higher fat content, which is sometimes harder to find. 

Vegetables: Napa cabbage, finely chopped, finely chopped onion, chopped scallions, chopped Chinese chives, and garlic. 

Pantry Ingredients: Cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. 

Additional Ingredients: Minced ginger and egg. 

For the Dough: 

Instant yeast, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, water, plus more as needed, and vegetable oil. 

Equipment You May Need:

I used a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough. 

While a standard steamer will work, a bamboo steamer is very handy, especially because you can cook the buns in layers. I place mine in a 14-inch flat bottomed wok, which leaves enough room for plenty of water under the steamer. 

Make-Ahead and Storage:

These buns, once cooked, freeze really well. Just wrap them individually after they cool, and then toss them in the freezer. They can be reheated by either steaming or microwaving. I've been intrigued by the technique, and now I'm totally obsessed. 

More Pork Reecipes You May Also Enjoy:

Chinese Barbecue Pork

Carolina Style Pulled Pork

Caramel Pulled Pork Banh Mi

Moo Shu Pork

Pork Carnitas

Perfect Pork Recipes

• Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Sauce from Creative Cynchronicity
• Crockpot Pork Carnitas from Jen Around the World
• Double Smoked Ham from Palatable Pastime
• Ham and Cheese Enchiladas from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Honey Apple Pork Tenderloin from That Recipe
• Pork and Chinese Chive Steamed Buns from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pork Shoulder Roast from Art of Natural LIving

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Pork and Chinese Chive Steamed Buns

Yield: 16 Buns

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 2 H & 20 M

These Pork and Chinese Chive Steamed Buns represent a cross between two of my favorite hobbies, bread baking and wok cooking. 

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 385 grams (2 3/4 cups) all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 180 grams (3/4 cup) water, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups filling of your choice

For the Filling

• 1/2 pounds Napa cabbage, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Chinese chives (garlic chives) or standard chives
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

To Make the Dough and the Buns

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the water and oil, and mix with the dough hook for about 5 minutes.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
3. Cut parchment paper into 16 3 inch by 3 inch squares.
4. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto your counter. Cut it in half and cover each half with plastic wrap.
5. Working with one half of the dough, cut it into 6 equal sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap.
6. Working with one cut piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 5 inch rounds. Add 2 tablespoons of the filling to the middle. Fold each "side" of the dough toward the middle, and then pleat the corners that are sticking out toward the center. Once you've gathered up the dough, twist it together. Place each shaped bun on top of a parchment square, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 20 minutes.
7. Fill a wok with water to a depth of about 2 to 3 inches and bring to a boil. The boiling water should not reach as high as the buns that you are steaming.
8. Place the buns, with the parchment squares underneath, onto a bamboo steamer, spacing the buns about 2 inches apart. You will probably have to steam these buns in two stages (8 at a time), depending on the size of your steamer.
9. Steam the buns for about 12 to 13 minutes, until puffy and shiny, and the filling is fully cooked. You may have to test one of the buns to check on the filling.
10. Serve immediately. Any leftovers can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or by steaming.

To Make the Filling

1. In a mesh colander, mix the cabbage, onion, and 2 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. With your hands, squeeze the cabbage mixture in small batches with your hands to get out as much water as possible. Place the squeezed cabbage in a large bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, including the rest of the salt, and mix gently by hand.
3. This recipe makes more filling than you will need. I sautéed the rest and used it to mix into fried rice.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

224

Fat (grams)

9 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

28 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

27 g

Sugar (grams)

5 g

Protein (grams)

9 g

Cholesterol (grams)

32 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2017/08/pork-and-chinese-chive-steamed-buns.html

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Filling recipe adapted from Hey There, Dumpling! This is a wonderful book filled with recipes for "Dumplings, Buns, Noodles, and other Asian Treats!"