Recipe Feature: Hum Bao

The Chinese New Year joins us on Valentine’s Day, so Chef Brockman selected the perfect recipe to celebrate both holidays. Pork Hum Bao! Tender and chewy dough shells encase bright bursts of juicy, Asian-seasoned pork. Now doesn’t that say “I love you”? Plus, both dough and filling can be made in advance, leaving you more time for romance.

These were a huge hit at the opening for the China Design Now exhibit at The Portland Art Museum last fall. Enjoy! (And let us know how it turns out!)

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup	flour
1 ¼ t	baking powder
3 ½ T	sugar
3 ½ T	milk
2 1/3 T	water
1 ½ T	canola oil

Filling

2 lb	pork shoulder (can substitute shrimp or chicken)
12 ea	shitake mushrooms, stem removed & chopped
1 Tbl	canola oil
1 Tbl	ginger, chopped
2 Tbl	bamboo shoots, sliced
4 ea	green onions, chopped
1 Tbl	oyster sauce
1 Tbl	soy sauce
1 Tbl	sesame oil
1/4 tsp	kosher salt
2 Tbl	cornstarch

Instructions

Dough

1. Sift together flour and baking powder then stir in sugar.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Gradually add wet ingredients to flour mixture until it forms a soft dough.
4. Knead on floured surface until smooth, wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. Dough can be stored longer if preparing ahead.
5. Roll into logs 2″ thick and slice into 1″ pieces. Cover with a damp towel.

Filling

1. Bake pork shoulder, covered, at 325° until it reaches an internal temperature of 165° (apx 45 – 90 minutes) and is fork tender. Moisten with stock if required.
2. Let cool at least 15 minutes to absorb the moisture.
3. Shred or chop meat.
4. Chop and saute mushrooms, let cool.
5. Fry ginger in oil over medium heat until aromatic.
6. Add pork, cook 3-5 minutes.
7. Stir in bamboo, scallions, oyster sauce, soy, sesame, salt and cornstarch.

Putting it all Together

1. If filling has been premade, reheat.
2. Flatten dough sections to 1/4″ thick and add 1 Tbsp filling in middle. Form a ball around the filling with the dough. Pinch dough together to seal.
3. Place pinched-side down in paper-lined bamboo steamer and steam until done. No steamer? Brush tops with egg yolk and bake at 350° for 18-25 minutes. Have extra? You can freeze and bake later!
4. If desired, serve with a sweet chili sauce for dipping. (Available at grocery stores.)

Photo by Leah Nash Photography.