To hit a dog with a meat-bun.
~ Chinese proverb
Here it is, the Char Siu Bao recipe as promised in our Xiao Long Bau blog. Char Siu Bao is translated as BBQ Pork Bun. The word Char Siu is cantonese for BBQ Pork. You can either buy the char siu from chinese restaurants or chinese BBQ meat shops. Alternatively, you can make it your own. It is not difficult and I have briefly blogged on how to make this in the Char Siu Wanton Noodle Soup blog.
In this first part of my blog on Char Siu Bao, I will focus on making the char siu filling. I normally prepare the filling in the morning. This is because the filling has to be chilled in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs before making the Char Siu Bao. This will firm up the filling for easy handling. You got to try this one out because I am 101% sure that everyone in your family will love this.
Char Siu Filling
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster-flavoured sauce
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3/4 cup chicken stock or canned chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 lb (about 2 cups) diced Char Siu
Instructions
 First I prepared the sauce by mixing the soy sauce, oyster-flavoured sauce, sesame oil and dark soy sauce in a small bowl and set it aside. This sauce is the most important part of the ingredients — it makes or breaks the char siu bao. |
 Next, I mixed the all purpose flour into the chicken stock and stirred until all the flour is dissolved and set it aside. |
 I then heat a frying pan over high heat and poured in the vegetable oil and heat it until it’s hot. The onion goes in first and stirred fry until it’s fragrant. |
 Once you can smell the fragrance of the onion, the sauce mixture and the sugar are added in.These have to be cooked for about 2 minutes or until the onion is soft. |
 When the onion is softened, the chicken stock/flour mixture is stirred in. At this point, reduce the heat to cook on low, stirring until the mixture is thickened. |
 Remove the frying pan from the stove and stir in the Char Siu (the char siu has to be diced first). The filling is scooped into a bowl and refrigerated until chilled.This recipe yields enough filling for 18 buns. |
I’ll continue to blog on making the Char Siu Bao tomorrow. Stay tuned.
I LOVE these things. Thanks for the recipe. Do you have one for Hunan (pork) dumplings, the kind that are steamed?
The baked ones are good too. I like those ones more!
Hi Shelly: I don’t know what Hunan Pork Dumplings are … I probably have eaten them before but just don’t know what you mean. Do you have a recipe or a picture?
Hi Sally: That’s a good idea. I have made it before … I will blog about it sometime in the future. Do you make it?
Suanne.
No…I just eat them!
Thanks for great recipes. I just found your site today and spent all day looking at it.
PLEASE tell me how to finish the char sui filling. You do not finish telling how to make it and in the next post you tell how to make the dough but not how to finish making the filling and my family loves char sui bao so much you would be their hero.
Thank you!
Hi Joley,
Thank you for your question which bring to my attention that my post on the char siu filing was not complete. I had fixed the post already. I hope your family will enjoy the char siu bao.
Wow – thanks for updating that so quickly. My family is excited about trying the recipes from your site. Have a great day.
Thank you for the recipe. I have a question on how much sugar I should use in this recipe, as it only says ‘1/4 sugar’. Thanks.
Hi Tong, it should be 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup (if you prefer sweeter filing). Thank you for pointing out the typo error.