This is a long post which has 3 parts. Part One is on making your own Char Siew. I followed Wendy's 'No bake Char Siew' recipe using her latest method. Very easy. The char siew is good. I used only 450 gm pork belly with the exact portion of seasoning from Wendy’s recipe. You can make a bigger portion to serve with rice and also for making paus. Part Two is to prepare the Char Siew filling for making Char Siew Pau. I followed Agnes Chang’s recipe [slightly modified] with Char Siew made in Part One. The filling turns out good, very tasty yet not too sweet or salty. It is nice. Part Three is to make the Char Siew Paus. I followed the recipe from Coco Kong’s book on Paus with slight modifications to the ingredients [reduced sugar and increased water quantity] and method.
Verdict – the pau skin is soft, moist and chewy, the char siew filling is moist, fragrant and tasty. What more do you expect from home-made paus? It is awesome minus the extra sweetness of store-bought paus. Do give this a try and discover the possibility of making good home-made paus. You may like it.
Part One – Char Siew Ingredients
450 gm pork belly strip – skin removed [about 2 cm thickness]
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese Rose wine [Mei Kwee Lor]
½ tsp salt
Enough water to cover meat pieces
3 tbsp sugar [I used brown sugar] - Place pork belly strips in a non-stick pan. Add in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, wine and enough water to cover the meat.
- Bring to boil then lower heat. Cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Flip over the meat to cook the other side for another 20-30 minutes or until the pork fat part is softened.
- Turn to high heat, add sugar and let it braise until the gravy is reduced to almost thick. Keep stirring when gravy is bubbly to prevent burning. Off the heat.
- Let the meat to cool in the wok with the gravy before slicing.
Part Two – Char Siew Filling for Steamed Char Siew Paus350 gm home-made char siew [from Part One] – chopped
1 big onion or 3 shallots – peeled and chopped finely
100 ml water
1 tbsp cornflour, 1 tbsp tapioca flour and ½ tbsp plain flour [combined]
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2-3 stalks spring onions – chopped
Seasoning
1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and oyster sauce
½ tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar [I used brown sugar]
- Add onions into char siew sauce from Part One. Stir fry until aromatic. Add in the char siew, seasoning and water. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the combined flour over char siew mixture, stir to mix until almost thick.
- Off heat, leave to cool before adding toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.
- Chill in fridge until required.
Part Three – Making Char Siew PausIngredients for Pau Skin
[total weight – 700 gm, makes 35 gm x 20 dough]
300 gm pau flour
100 gm wheat starch or tang mian flour
50 gm icing sugar
1 tsp double action baking powder
2 tsp instant yeast or 10 gm
30 gm shortening
- Combine both flours, sugar, baking powder and yeast in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fixed with a dough hook. Add water gradually as you knead the dough.
- Knead until a soft dough is formed. Add in the shortening and continue to knead till dough is soft, smooth and pliable. Shape into a round ball.
- Divide dough into 4 equal portions [175 gm each]. Roll into a log and divide into 5 equal portions [about 35 gm].
- Shape into balls, then flatten each ball with you palm.
- Press the edges of the dough to thin it before wrapping the filling. Gather the edges and pleat it into a pleated pau or shape into a round ball.
- Place on paper liner and arrange it in a steaming tray. Finish wrapping the rest of the dough and filling.
- Set aside to proof for about 40-45 minutes from the time you make the last pau.
- Prepare steamer and steam over rapidly boiling water for 10-12 minutes. If using a normal steamer, bring water to boil first before steaming.
- Remove, serve immediately or cool on wire rack.
