Siopao Asado (Sweet Pork Steamed Buns) & Sweet Sauce

Siopao Asado (Sweet Pork Steamed Buns)

Ingredients:

Dough: 

3 cups All-purpose Flour 

1 pack (4 g) Instant Yeast 

1 tbsp White Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt 

1 cup warm Water

2 tbsp Canola Oil 

Asado Filling:

2 lbs Pork, chopped into cubes

2~3 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Garlic, minced

1 large Onion, minced

2 tbsp Cornstarch, diluted in 1/4 cup Water

4 tbsp Soy Sauce

4 tbsp Brown Sugar

3 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce

Instructions:

Cook the asado filling.

In a heated pan, add-in the butter. Then, add in garlic and onions; Sauté for a few seconds.

Add-in pork, and cook until light brown.

Add-in soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sugar. Mix well.

Let it simmer for about 30~40 minutes.

Add-in corn starch mixture, and mix until the sauce has thickened.

Turn off heat, and set aside. Allow to cool down completely.

Prepare the dough.

In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar; Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Set aside in warm place for about 10 minutes, or until foamy and bubbly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Whisk until well combined.

Pour in yeast mixture, and vegetable oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until doughy.

Place the dough on a  floured surface, and knead for at least 5~10 minutes, the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.

Set aside in warm place to proof for bout an hour, until doubled in size.

After an hour, punch the dough in the middle to release air.

Divide into four equal parts.

Form each part into a log and divide into 2 balls. (*You can make 8 large sized siopao buns.

If you want smaller size siopao, divide each log into 4.)

Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a round disk about 4~5" in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. When rolling, leave the middle of the dough thicker than the edges. This will prevent the dough from leaking and becoming flat.

Place the rolled dough in the palm of your hand, then place about 2 tablespoonful of asado filling in the middle. (*1 tablespoon of filling for small size siopao.) You may add quartered boiled egg if you like.

Lift all the edges up and twist to seal.

Place them onto a square piece of wax paper.

Repeat procedure for the rest of the dough.

Prepare the steamer pan.
Pour water in the steamer pan.
Cover the steamer lid with a cheese cloth to prevent water from dropping unto the siopao later when steaming.
Cover the steamer pan with the lid, and slowly bring water to a boil.

Place siopao in the prepared steamer; Cover, and steam over medium low heat for at least 15 minutes.

Turn off heat.

Serve warm with Sweet Sauce or Ketchup. Happy Eating!!

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Siopao Sweet Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups Beef Broth

1 pc Star Anise or 1/2 tsp Five Spice Powder

2 tbsp Cornstarch, diluted in 4 tbsp of Water

1/4 cup Onions, diced

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper

4 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Salt

Instructions:

In a heated saucepan, pour-in beef broth, and bring to a boil.

Add-in onion, garlic, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt, ground black pepper, and star anise.

Cover the saucepan, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add extra water as needed.

Turn of the heat, then strain the liquid using a fine-mesh kitchen strainer into a bowl.

Heat another clean saucepan and pour-in the strained liquid. Bring to a boil.

Add-in cornstarch mixture, stirring continuously until thick in consistency.

Turn off the heat, and allow the siopao sauce to cool down.

Transfer the siopao sauce to a serving container.

Steamed Pork in Egg Custard

Steamed Pork in Egg Custard

Ingredients:

Pork Mixture

250 g Ground Pork

1 tsp Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp Sesame Oil

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbsp Scallions, finely chopped

1 tbsp Ginger, minced

1 red Chili, chopped (for a kick of spice) - optional

1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch

 Egg Mixture

2 large Eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Chicken Stock

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Canola Oil

1 tbsp Scallions, finely chopped

1 sprig Cilantro, chopped (for garnish) - optional

Instructions:

Prepare the steamer. Pour the water in the steamer.

Cover the steamer lid with a cheese cloth to prevent water from dropping unto the steamed pork later when steaming.

In deep ovenproof dish, combine pork mixture ingredients.

Flatten the meat mixture to cover bottom of dish.

In a medium bowl, stir together the egg mixture ingredients.

Pour-in egg mixture over the meat and skim off bubbles.

Place into the prepared steamer, and steam over medium-high heat for 12 minutes.

Turn off heat and let custard settle; covered for 8 minutes.

Allow to cool a bit, and carefully unmold from dish.

Garnish with cilantro (optional); Serve and Enjoy!!

Chinese Scallion Flat Bread 蔥油餅

A savory, flat unleavened bread made by folding chopped scallions on dough,

flattening it, and pan-grilled until golden brown and crisp.

Chinese Scallion Flat Bread 蔥油餅

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Scallions, chopped
1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1/2-1/3 cup Water, warm
1 1/2 tbsp Canola Oil
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a bowl, mix flour with a bit less than 1/3 cup of warm water; Knead until fully combined. (The dough should be a little soft.)

On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic.
Roll into a ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit for 15 minutes.

Separate dough into 2 pieces, and roll into balls.
On the same floured surface, roll out dough flat, about 2 mm thin.
Evenly spread chopped scallion pieces on the flattened dough.
Sprinkle salt, and add a pinch of white pepper.
Roll it up tightly, and roll into a thin flat sheet.

In a flat-bottomed frypan, Add oil and bring to a medium heat.
When the oil is hot enough, fry the flattened dough on both sides (Keep medium
to low fire!) until golden and crispy.

Serve on a plate immediately with a soy dipping sauce.

Note:
This flat bread can be eaten as a snack, or part of the main stable meal, with soup.

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Soy Dipping Sauce 醬油沾醬

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp White Rice Wine Vinegar 
1/2 tsp White Sugar

1/4 tsp chilli, finely chopped
1 stalk scallion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced 
Pinch pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sugar. Mix well until sugar is dissolved.
Add-in the chili, scallions, garlic, and pepper. Stir well.

Note:
For a variation, add 1/2 tsp of rice vinegar and/or 1/2 tsp of chili sauce.

You can make up a larger quantity, and keep it in the fridge for several months.

Chinese Beef Broccoli

Chinese Beef Broccoli

Ingredients:

500 g Beef (flank or sirloin), thinly sliced

500 g Broccoli Florets

1 small Carrot, sliced

2 tbsp Peanut Oil

1 large Onion, halved and sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

Beef Marinade:

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Chinese Rice Wine or Dry Sherry

1 tsp Cornstarch

1/2 tbsp ground Black Pepper

Sauce:

2 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Chinese Rice Wine or Dry Sherry

1/2 cup low-sodium Chicken Broth

Instructions:

Marinate the beef.

In a medium bowl, add-in all the marinade ingredients, and stir.

Add-in the beef slices, and stir until well-coated.

Set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Prepare the sauce.

In a small bowl, add-in all the sauce ingredients, and mix well.

In a small pot of boiling, salted water, addd-in the broccoli, and cook for about a minute, or until until tender-crisp.

Drain thoroughly, and wash with cold water. Set aside.

Heat a large wok over high heat. Pour-in the peanut oil and swirl to coat.

add-in the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok in a single layer. Fry for 1 minute.

Flip the beef slices over, and continue cooking.

Add-in the garlic; add-in the carrots, and fry for an additional 1 minute.

Pour-in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil.

Pour-in the cornstarch mixture and continue cooking; stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens for about 30 seconds.

Serve warm with rice if desired. Enjoy!!

Tangsuyuk 탕수육 (Sweet & Sour Pork)

Tangsuyuk 탕수육 (Sweet & Sour Pork)

Ingredients:

250 g Pork, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup Cucumber, sliced

1/4 cup Onion, sliced

1/4 cup Carrot, sliced

1/2 cup Fruit Cocktail, drained

2 Wood Ear Mushrooms, soaked and chopped

Salt & Pepper

1 tsp Cooking Wine

Deep-Frying Oil

Batter:
1 cup Corn Starch

2 tbsp Potato Starch

1 Egg White

1 cup Water

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups Water

2 Tbsp Corn Starch, dissolved in 2 tbsp Water

1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Tbsp Apple Vinegar

1 tsp Canola Oil

Instructions:

Marinate the pork.

In a small bowl, Add-in the pork strips, cooking wine, and season with salt and pepper.

Set aside to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Prepare the batter.

In a medium bowl, mix-in corn starch and water, stir well, and let sit for 30-60 minutes, or until starch sinks into the bowl.

Carefully drain water, leaving the stiff starch mixture.

Add-in the egg white and potato starch. Mix well to combine.

In a deep wok, Add-in about 2 1/2 cups of deep-frying oil. Heat the wok up.

Add the pork strips into the prepared batter, and mix thoroughly with clean hands to coat.

Deep fry the pork strips for about 3 minutes, or until lightly brown.

Then put the fried pork strips into a strainer.

Fry them once again until golden brown and crispy.

Then, place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Make the sauce.

In a small bowl, combine water, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Mix well and set aside.

In a well heated pan, add-in canola oil.

Add-in the sliced onion, carrot, cucumber, and wood ear mushroom. Sauté for a minute.

Add-in sauce mixture; stir to dissolve sugar, and bring to a boil.

Add-in the cornstarch mixture to the boiling sauce and stir until sauce becomes thick.

Add-in the fruit cocktail, and continue boiling for 3-5 more minutes.

Place the crispy fried pork strips into a serving platter, and pour sauce on top.

Serve hot and enjoy!!

Shrimp Wanton Soup

Shrimp Wanton Soup

Ingredients:

Shrimp Wanton:
500 g ground Shrimps
1 stalk Spring Onion, minced
1/8 cup Carrots, minced
1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
1/2 tsp Red Chili Pepper, crushed (for a kick of spice)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Wonton Wrappers
8 pcs Shrimps, shelled and tail-on (optional)

Broth:
2 cup Chicken Broth
1 tsp Fermented Soy Bean Paste
1 tbsp Soup Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce
1 tsp Ginger, sliced thinly
3 heads Bokchoy (Pak Choi), bottoms sliced off; cut in half lengthwise if large
sliced Spring Onions (for garnish)

Instructions:
Make the Shrimp Wantons.

In a bowl, add-in the shrimps, spring onions, carrots, soup soy sauce or fish sauce, and red chili pepper (if you want it spicy). Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

Place one tablespoon of filling in center of wonton wrapper and fold in half, sealing edges with water.

Make the broth.

In a pot, boil 2 cups of chicken broth.
Add-in soy bean paste and ginger.

Drop wonton balls and continue cooking until wontons start floating. Add-in shrimps (optional).

Add-in bokchoy. Cook until blanched.

Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with spring onions. Serve and Enjoy!!


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(Homemade) Wanton Wrapper

Ingredients: 
2 cups Flour 
1 Egg
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Water or as needed 
1/2 tsp sugar (optional) ~very good, if you want a very crunchy wonton!
Corn Starch (enough to dust on the tabletop, for kneading the dough)

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, beat-in the egg with salt and sugar.
Sift-in the flour, and combine well.
Little by little, add-in water until you get the right consistency.

Knead the dough and set aside for 30 minutes.

Dust your clean tabletop with corn starch, and roll out the dough very thinly.

Cut into desired shape.

Shrimp Toast

Shrimp Toast

Ingredients:

250 g large Shrimps, peeled and deveined

1 small Onion, finely chopped

1/2 knob fresh Ginger, peeled and finely chopped

pinch of Salt

dash of freshly Ground Pepper

2 tbsp fresh cilantro or basil, finely chopped

2 Egg Whites, separated

1 tbsp Corn Starch

White Sliced Bread, cut into triangles

½ cup fine Bread Crumbs

Oil for frying

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix-in the cornstarch and 1 egg white. Set aside.

Finely chop the Shrimps, and put in a medium bowl.

Add-in the onion, ginger, cilantro or basil, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add-in the remaining egg white. Mix until well combined.

Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl.

Brush the top of each bread (on one side) with the cornstarch mixture, and spread about 1/4” of shrimp mixture on top, and coat with breadcrumbs. (You may distribute the remaining cornstarch mixture to the top of each bread with shrimp mixture.)

Place in a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill up to 1 hour, if desired.

Pour enough oil to come 1 1/2” up the sides of a large skillet, and heat to 180°C.

Working in batches, add bread pieces to hot oil. Fry the shrimp toast side down; turning occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve and Enjoy!!