Sweet and sour pork buns (Bao)

Celebrate Chinese New Year banquet-style with these traditional pork buns.

Recipe «Sweet and sour pork buns (Bao)» presented in category Recipes / Meat, to prepare this dish you will need no more 1:10 minutes. To make this dish at home by prescription from the author sheff would need: 4 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying, 250g Coles pork fillet, cut into 1/2 cm strips and diced into 1cm lengths, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 small egg, lightly beaten, 1/2 cup cornflour , 2 tbsp tomato sauce, 1/2 cup drained pineapple from 440 g can sliced pineapple, finely chopped and reserve 1/2 cup of juice., 2 tbsp white sugar , 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp white vinegar, 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1/2 small onion, diced, 1 tbsp finely diced garlic, 1 tsp finely chopped ginger, 1/2 medium sized red capsicum, finely diced, 1/2 cup canned pineapple, drained, juice reserved.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying 
• 250g Coles pork fillet, cut into 1/2 cm strips and diced into 1cm lengths 
• 1 tsp light soy sauce 
• 1 small egg, lightly beaten 
• 1/2 cup cornflour 
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce 
• 1/2 cup drained pineapple from 440 g can sliced pineapple, finely chopped and reserve 1/2 cup of juice. 
• 2 tbsp white sugar 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tsp white vinegar 
• 1 tsp vegetable oil 
• 1/2 small onion, diced 
• 1 tbsp finely diced garlic 
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 
• 1/2 medium sized red capsicum, finely diced 
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple, drained, juice reserved 
• 1 tsp cornflour 
• 500g self-raising flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 cup caster sugar 

Instructions

1. Place vegetable oil in a medium sized saucepan over high heat, bring up to about 190°C degrees
2. Meanwhile mix pork and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Add lightly beaten egg. Place flour on a large plate, add pork pieces, shaking of any excess egg, and gently roll in flour ensuring the pieces do not get stuck together.
3. Once oil is hot, add pork and deep fry for 2 minutes, or until batter is crispy and lightly golden. Remove and drain on paper towel. Place on chopping board and roughly chop any chunky pieces smaller.
4. For the sauce: Combine tomato sauce, pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl, mix well to combine.
5. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a wok or frying pan, once hot add onion, cook for 2 minutes then add garlic and ginger, cook for a further minute. Add half the amount of sweet and sour tomato sauce, cook for 1 minute, add capsicum and pineapple, cook for a further 2 minutes.
6. Add cornflour to the remaining sweet and sour sauce, mix well so that there are no lumps. Add this to pork mixture and cook until thickened. Taste mixture, adjust ingredients to achieve a sweet and sour flavour balance if necessary. Place mixture into a bowl and allow to cool slightly in fridge.
7. To make dough, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and stir well to combine. Make a well in the centre of the dough, add vegetable oil, mix with a fork to combine, add the water and bring the dough together. If dough seems to dry, add a little more water, if it’s too wet add extra flour. Knead dough for 10 minutes, until smooth alternatively use a food processor or electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.
8. Roll dough into a thick round sausage shape, cut into 1 – 1.5cm slices, flatten each slice with the palm of your hand into a flat disc, about 1 ½ tablespoons of pork mixture into the centre of the disc, pinch the edges of the disc and then bring together so that filling is enclosed. No need to worry if it doesn’t look perfect as it will change shape when steamed. Place onto a square of lightly oiled baking paper. Repeat with remaining mixture.
9. Place steamer basket over wok or saucepan filled with plenty of water. Add 3 – 4 buns at a time, depending on the size of your steamer. Don’t overcrowd your steamer as they increase in size as they cook. Steam each bun for 20 minutes. Remove from basket and serve immediately.