How To Make Trini Pork Pows/Chinese Steamed Buns

Yield: 8 Pows

INGREDIENTS

For The Dough:

2½ Cups Cake Flour

½ Tsp Salt

4 Tsp Baking Powder

5 Tbsp White Sugar

1 Tbsp Yeast

7 Oz Water

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

For The Filling:

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 Tbsp Onion, minced

½ Tsp Garlic, minced

1 Tsp Pimento Pepper, minced

1 Cup of Char Sui Pork, small diced (See our recipe)

¼ Cup Bottled Chinese Char Sui Sauce

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Sugar

¼ Cup Water

2 Tbsp Corn Starch

2 Tbsp Water

¼ Tsp Black Pepper & Salt each

METHOD

1. In a medium mixing bowl; add in the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and yeast and mix to combine. In a small cup, mix the water and oil. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the liquid slowly as you mix and bring the dough together.

2. Knead dough for 10 minutes until it’s spongy and springs back to the touch.

3. Place dough back into a bowl and cover with a damp towel to rest for 20 minutes.

4. To make the filling, place a medium sauté pan over medium heat and drizzle in the vegetable oil.

5. When heated, add in the onions, garlic and pimentos to sweat lightly for 2 minutes while stirring aromatics until they soften.

6. Add in the chopped char sui pork, soy sauce, sugar and ¼ cup of water. Mix well and continue cooking on medium heat for 3 minutes.

7. Mix together the 2 tbsp of cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water and in a small ramekin.

8. Add this starch mixture to the pork and stir/cook for 1 minute additional until pork thickens up.

9. Pour this mixture into a shallow dish and place in freezer for 12 minutes to cool down and get sticky.

10. Take the dough and on a floured surface, roll up into a cylinder and cut the dough into 8 pieces flatten a piece of dough with your palm. Then use a rolling pin to roll the edges so that they are thinner than the centre of the dough disc. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces ensuring to cover the rolled dough with a damp towel to prevent drying out.

11. Take a disc of dough and place 1 heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre. Pleat the dough edges up and around the filling to completely enclose. Place the bun on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover with a damp tea towel and rest for 1 hour in a warm place.

12. Place the buns in a steamer and cook over boiling water for 10 minutes or until the dough is fluffy and cooked through.

13. Remove steamer from the stove and let steamed buns rest for 5 minutes before eating.