mantou<\/a> recipe. Based on my experience the char siu bao dough has a similar flavor profile and texture, so I\u2019m sticking with the same recipe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nAsado filling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The filling for siopao asado is just as important as the dough, sometimes more so (I went through a phase as a kid where I just ONLY ate the filling and gave my mom my siopao scraps). Yes disgusting, I know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make the filling I followed a traditional process of braising and stewing to get ultra tender pieces of pork shoulder. In the beginning I also seared the meat to get a nice caramelization on the meat and enhance the flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter searing, I saute garlic and onions in the same pan and de-glaze all of the caramel goodness with water, soy sauce, and salt to make a flavorful liquid that the meat will braise in for an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I finish the asado by chopping the meat in fine pieces and cooking it down with some of the pork broth, oyster sauce, hoisin, dark brown sugar, pepper, and a mixture of cornstarch water to thicken. This viscous asado filling will give you a profile of sweet, savory, and peppery flavors all in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cooking tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s some of my favorite tips for the getting great results with siopao:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To use your time wisely, I like to use the following timeline: (1) braise meat, (2) make dough & proof, (3) make asado filling, (4) boil eggs, and (5) assemble siopao. Note: I start with the meat first because you need time to cool the filling down before adding it into the dough. <\/li> Braise your meat to get tender and flavorful meat. I know this takes an hour, but it\u2019s worth getting that soft and melt in your mouth texture.<\/li> Proof your dough until it\u2019s doubled, even if that means two hours. I\u2019ve made this dough in different temperatures and proofing can take from one hour to two hours and it\u2019s necessary to build up the gluten and get fluffy soft siopao dough. <\/li> Punch your dough after it\u2019s done proofing to get rid of excess gas. Not doing this will give you bubbles in your dough when rolling out. <\/li> Chop the braised meat to make sure you get meat in every bite. <\/li> When rolling out your dough, leave the center a little thicker to ensure you get an even amount of dough in each bite. Since you\u2019re folding the top over consecutive dough folds, it will end up thicker than the bottom. If you leave the center of your dough thicker, it evens out the top and bottom dough ratio. <\/li> Proof the dough a second time for a shorter 15 minutes before steaming to get them super fluffy! I\u2019m amazed at how much fluffier they get by proofing an additional time. Typically, by the time I\u2019m done with folding all my siopao, my first batch is already done proofing so win win!<\/li> Save extra siopao in the freezer in an airtight container for a snack in the future! They\u2019re easy to reheat in the microwave, you just need to wrap it in a wet towel and microwave for one to two minutes on high. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div>
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