Siopao Asado

Written by on in Snack

Siopao is one of many culinary influences from the Chinese. This bun recipe is our take on Char Siu Bao. But instead of using Char Siu (Chinese BBQ pork) this recipe calls for a simple pulled pork that comes with its own sauce, which is slightly different from the traditional Char Siu Bao sauce.

This is my own version of siopao. Instead of using only all-purpose flour, I also incorporated some cornstarch in the dough. The addition of hoisin and rice vinegar to the braising liquid gave the meat filling a sweet and tangy flavor.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. Send me some feedback and let me know how it turns out for you.

Siopao Asado
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Siopao Asado

Recipe by Marlon A.Course: SnacksCuisine: FilipinoDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • Meat Filling

  • 1 lb pork butt

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1/3 cup chopped shallots or onions

  • 3 cloves minced garlic

  • 2 cups water

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce

  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce

  • 1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce

  • 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar (optional)

  • 4 Tbsp Brown Sugar

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with around 2 Tbsp of water

  • Dough

  • 3 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup cornstarch

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 2 tsps baking powder

  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 1/4 cup Whole Milk + 2 Tbsps sugar

  • 2 tsps yeast

  • Sauce

  • 2 cloves grated garlic

  • 1 1/2 cups of braising liquid (if there is not enough braising liquid just add water until you have 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 tsp Hoisin sauce

  • 1/4 cup Brown sugar

  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbsp water

Directions

  • Meat Filling
  • In a bowl, combine water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and bay leaves. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  • In a pan, place the oil and saute onions for about a minute. Add in garlic, and keep sauteeing for another 30 seconds. Place the pork in the pan and allow each side to brown a little bit. Then, pour in the liquid mixture from Step 1. Bring to a boil and then cover and lower the heat. Cook for about an hour or until the meat is tender. Turn the meat over a couple of times while waiting for it to tenderize.
  • Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside about 3/4 – 1 cup of braising liquid. This will be used for the sauce.
  • Using two forks, pull the meat to form strands (pulled pork). Bring back the meat into the pan and add the cornstarch mixture. Wait until the liquid thickens. Set this aside.
  • Dough & Assembly
  • Warm up milk until its 105 F (40 C). Add yeast and sugar and give it a stir. Allow the yeast to activate for about 5 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Make a well and add in the yeast mixture and oil. Mix using a spatula. Then, place on a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or manually knead on a floured surface. This may take up to 15 minutes before the dough is ready.
  • The dough is ready if it passes the window pane test. Take a small piece of dough. Stretch it slowly. If a thin film can be formed, then the dough is ready.
  • Place the dough on an greased bowl and then allow to rise for about an hour. Poke the dough and if it doesn’t bounce back, then it’s ready. Divide the dough into 10 – 12 pieces. And then using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle.
  • Take about a tablespoon of filling and place it in the middle each dough and then lift the sides of dough to form a bun.
  • Cover the dough with cloth and allow to rise until double in size. This may take between 30 minutes to 1 hr depending on the temperature of the room.
  • Place water and 1 Tbsp of vinegar in a steamer. Bring to a boil. After the dough has doubled in size, cook them in the steamer for around 15 minutes.
  • Sauce
  • Combine all the ingredients for the sauce except for the cornstarch. Bring it to a boil. Add in the cornstarch mixture and stir until it thickens.
  • To serve, cut the siopao in half and pour some sauce inside the bun.

Notes

  • You can adjust the salt level by increasing or reducing the amount of soy you use for this recipe.