Saucy Steamed Meat Buns 酱肉包子

Once in a while, I would crave a steam bun with a sweet filling like a sesame or sweet red bean paste. But I would always, always be in the mood for steam buns filled with meat or vegetables.

A convenient handheld meal

The steam meat bun is the Asian answer to the sandwich. Fill it with whatever you like, it’s portable and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Growing up in China, my second favourite thing to eat for breakfast were saucy meat filled steamed buns.

It's also super convenient because you can steam a big batch, freeze it after they've cooled and they'll keep fresh for weeks. Steam it straight from the freezer next time and it'll be just as good.

The Filling

There is not just one recipe for Jiang Rou Bao Zi 酱肉包. Some like it more sweet, others, more spicy. But all the while, it's flavour-packed, fatty and savoury. This is another Chinese meat dish where a lean to fat ratio of 50/50 works best in delivering that rich decadent mouth free. To keep things healthier though, most of the time I opt for a leaner pork mince.

As well, the filling for this meat bun “BaoZi” recipe is cooked before it’s steamed in the bun itself. This method yields a more loose filling than other buns which are steamed with uncooked meat fillings.

The dough

The dough is actually quite straight forward. The key for a fluffy and light bun is to give it enough time to proof for the second time after shaping. Don't rush it!