Char Siu Bao 叉烧包

Cha Siew Pau, Cha Shao Bao, or Char Siu Bao... whatever romanization it is still the same old bbq pork steamed buns.

There’s this Cha Siew Bao in Tanjung Tualang, which the pau skin is the traditional type, yeast raised, and it is called Hainan Pau.
I prefer this type of pau skin to the Dimsum shop types, which are raised by double action baking powder.

My all time favourite cha siew pao is from Kam Ling Restaurant in Kampar. Their filling is just yummy. Super yummy! I’d say this filling that I’ve recreated based on the memory of Kam Ling’s Cha Siew Pau is…… 80% to 90% similar. I didn’t put in chopped coriander, but Kam Ling does. This cha siew filling doesn’t have hoisin sauce in it…. Which is why it just taste different from most recipes… yummy

I used to make pau by just assuming the proportions, and they come out with different textures each time. So, this time, I want to standardize my pau skin recipe.

This is the outcome.

Pau Skin recipe

A) 600gm pau flour
120gm sugar
¼ tsp salt

B)300ml warm water
1 sachet instant yeast
1 tsp sugar

60gm shortening (melted, but not too hot)

1) Mix B together and wait for the mixture to froth.
2) Mix A together. Pour B in.
3) Knead until it becomes smooth and doesn’t stick to the side of the mixing bowl.
4) Pour in melted shortening, and knead until the oil is fully incorporated. (It may seem to be very oily, but don’t worry, just knead)
5) Shape into a ball and cover mixing bowl with cling wrap and let sit until dough has doubled. (I knead in a pot, so I just cover up with the pot lid)
6) Punch down and knead. Divide into 50gm balls.

Cha Siew Filling Recipe
A)600gm pork
3 soup spoon sugar (Chinese soup spoon)
1 soup spoon dark soy sauce
2 soup spoon light soy sauce
1 soup spoon chinese rose wine (mui gwai lou)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water

B)
1/2 cup water
1 heaped Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1. Marinate pork with all ingredients in (A) for 4 hours at least. (I do it overnight)
2. Pour pork and marinade into a heavy bottom pan or pot and cook on medium fire until the sauce thickens into honey like consistency.
3. Let cool in pot and chop cha siew into small cubes around 5mm X 5mm.
4. Mix B together. With the same pot that has the thickened sauce in it, pour B in. Bring to a boil and put chopped cha siew in and cook until gravy has thickened and reduced.
5. Put cha siew on a plate and let it cool down. When cha siew has cooled, chill in the fridge.

** this filling can be prepared days in advance and refrigerated. Take note that filling turns saltier after being steamed in the bun.

Assembly:
1. Take a ball of dough weighing around 50gm each, flatten it into a circle.
2. Place a table spoon of chilled cha siew filling into the centre of the circle.
3. Gather sides of the circle carefully and pinch the top together.
4. Place onto a piece of paper.
5. Let sit for 30 minutes and steam on high fire for 10 minutes.

***
By the time I finish doing the last one, it’s more than 30 minutes, so I just prepare the steamer and steam the first few paus. No need to wait.