Soup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao)
Directions
- 1In a medium saucepan, add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat to medium-high.
- 2Add 2-3 green onions sliced into 1 inch pieces, and sear for 2-3 minutes or until lightly charred.
- 3Remove green onions from the pan and add 0.5 lb or 226 grams of boneless pork Boston butt cut into 2-3 big chunks, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side.
- 4Remove pork from the pot and add 1.5 lbs or 680 grams of pork neck bones that have already been rinsed with cold water to remove impurities.
- 5Add the seared pork, 0.75 lb or 454 grams of pork skin cut into manageable pieces, and 2-3 green onions and 1 inch knob of ginger thinly sliced
- 6Cover with 5 cups or a little over 1 liter of water. If there is not enough water covering it, add an extra cup.
- 7Set over medium-high, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer, skim off any scum that rises to the top, and reduce for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until you’re left with just 2 1/2 to 3 cups of broth.
- 8Remove all the bones, strain everything through a strainer and into a flat container, season generously with salt, let it cool close to room temp, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight.
- 9In a medium-sized bowl, add 1 1/4 cup or 170 grams of all-purpose flour, then begin stirring that with a fork while constantly stirring in 3 1/2 tablespoons or 50 grams of hot water.
- 10Stir until all the water is absorbed by the flour, and then stir in 3 tablespoons or 40 grams of just room temperature water.
- 11Once it begins to form a dough, start kneading by hand for 5 to 8 minutes or until you get a beautifully smooth dough.
- 12Wrap that in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- 13In a medium-sized bowl, add 1 lb or 450 grams of ground pork with a high fat percentage, 3 green onions very finely minced, a pinch of ground white pepper, 0.5 teaspoon or 2 grams of granulated sugar, 0.5 teaspoon or 2 grams of salt, 2 tablespoons or 30 grams of soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons or 22 grams of shaoxing wine, 0.5 teaspoon or 3 grams of toasted sesame oil.
- 14Knead together until thoroughly combined.
- 15Once the broth is fully chilled, scrape off any solidified fat off the top and using a spatula, separate it from the sides of your container and pop it out onto a cutting board.
- 16Cut the broth sheet into 1/2 inch cubes, being gentle and careful not to break them into little pieces.
- 17Gather about 1 cup or 235 grams of that broth gel and add it to your pork mixture and gently fold that together until evenly incorporated.
- 18Separate the rest of dumpling dough into two pieces, roll those out into long rods about 1 inch thick, cut off segments weighing 10 to 15 grams each.
- 19Take one of your balls, dusting with flour as needed, roll it into a beautifully round disk that’s about 3 1/2 inches in diameter, then grab a heaping tablespoon of filling, add it to the center of the disk.
- 20Carefully fold it over itself to create a little well, pleat, stick that fold onto itself and then repeat each little pleat one next to the other as close to the previous pleat until you’ve made your way all the way around the whole dumpling.
- 21Gently pinch and twist your hole shut.
- 22Cut out little squares of parchment about 4x4 inches, place your dumplings on each piece of parchment individually.
- 23Add a shallow 1/2 inch depth of water in a pot, bring that to a boil over a medium-high, then reduce the temp to medium, load up a bamboo steamer with as many dumplings as you can, leaving at least half an inch of space in between them.
- 24Pop the lid on and place your basket on your steaming pot and let it steam for 8 minutes.
- 25To make the dipping sauce, mix 2 tablespoons or 17 grams of spicy chili crisp and 1/3 cup or 88 grams of Chinese black vinegar.
- 26Add a few threads of very finely julienned fresh ginger to the sauce for each individual serving.
Ingredients
- 0.75 lb pork skin
- 1.5 lbs pork neck bones
- 0.5 lb pork Boston Butt
- 2 green onion, sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 inch knob Ginger, sliced
- 5 cups water
- 1 salt
- 3 lbs chicken back and necks
- 1 inch knob Ginger, sliced
- 2 green onions, cut into pieces
- 0.5 cup water
- 1.25 cup all purpose flour
- 3.5 tablespoons hot water
- 3 tablespoons room temperature water
- 1 lb high fat ground pork
- 1.5 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 3 green onion, very finely minced
- 0.5 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 cup broth gel, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons spicy chili crisp
- 0.33 cup black vinegar
- 2 inch knob Ginger, julienned
Equipment
ChopsticksSteamerSaucepanBowlKnifeCutting boardRolling pinMeat grinderScaleSpatula
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