Momofuku Steamed Pork Buns

I first heard of this New York Restaurant on the Martha Stewart show, she was raving about the up and coming chef David Chang, who has introduced these fabulous buns to the world. Thank-you David!!

I have been eating and making Cha Sui Bao for a long time, so when I saw his recipe, which looks pretty similar to Bao, but has a higher meat to bun ratio, I was very excited. The recipe is really in two parts, the roasted meat and then the dough for the steamed buns. He uses belly of pork at his restaurant, but I've found it's nearly impossible to find this cut of meat in the supermarket. This fatty piece of pork which was so inexpensive a few years ago - like short ribs, has become so popular with restaurants that it's hard to find or is very expensive.

So, this is my version. I bought 2 lbs of boneless pork butt cut into country style ribs, which is very affordable at under $2/lb. I found a Cha siu pork marinade recipe on a blog called "Cookcraftgrow" and it was really delicious. The steamed dough recipe is taken from David Chang's new book called Momofuku. As you can see from the photo, the light, fluffy buns are steamed separately and served with hoisin sauce and the sliced meat. He also adds cucumbers and scallions to the bun to add crunch, reminiscent of Peking duck.

I am looking forward to visiting Momofuku the next time I go to NYC, but until then, I'm going to be making these again and again...

Steamed Pork Buns

(Makes 16)

Ingredients:

Cha siu pork

2 lbs. boneless pork butt/country style ribs

5 tablespoons hoisin sauce

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons sugar

1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 teaspoon 5-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dry sherry

Dough:

3/4 cup warm water

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup canola oil

Special equipment needed: Large pot with lid, steamer basket, rolling pin

Directions:

Prepare the meat: The pork can be marinated overnight or for just a few hours. Combine all the marinade ingredients and brush onto the boneless ribs. Refrigerate and cover until ready to cook.

Line a roasting pan with foil and roast in a 350 degree preheated oven for approx. 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Prepare dough: In large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, milk powder and sugar. Add the remaining dry ingredients (except the oil) to form a dough.
If using a Kitchen Aid mixer or food processor, gradually add the oil and knead for 3 or 4 minutes until a smooth dough is formed.
Place the dough in a greased mixing bowl, cover and leave to rise until double in size, about one hour.
Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll into balls and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and place steamer basket on top, while dough is resting.
Roll each ball of dough into an oval approx. 2 x 3 inches.