The Year of the Tiger calls for a dish with tigerish taste! Pan-Fried Pork Buns are filled with savory, meaty pork goodness accented by fragrant soy sauce and sesame oil. Enveloped in a crispy and toothsome dough, Pan-Fried Pork Buns are a celebration in and of themselves. The vinegar dipping sauce adds just that much more tang and savory flavors to the mix, making them truly irresistible. A tiger can’t change its stripes, and these buns can’t be anything but delicious!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, optional
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more, for dusting a work surface
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 tablespoons water, plus more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon green onions, finely chopped, for garnish
For frying:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more, to taste
- 1 cup water, cold, plus more, to taste
For the vinegar dipping sauce:
- 2 tablespoons black vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped
Directions
Step 1 -In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, 1/4 cup of the green onions, the ginger, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, the cooking wine, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, the white pepper, and the black pepper, using a spatula to mix it well and evenly.
Step 2 -Cover the filling mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 3 -In a separate large bowl whisk together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, the baking powder, and 10 tablespoons of the water, mixing until a dough forms and scraping the sides of the bowl, as needed.
Step 4 -Knead the dough with your hands or a stand mixer until the dough becomes smooth and soft. Add the extra water a few drops at a time if it is too sticky or difficult to handle.
Step 5 -Form the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Step 6 -Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Step 7 -Knead the dough to remove any air bubbles, about 2 minutes.
Step 8 -Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface. Transfer the dough onto the prepared work surface and roll it into a log.
Step 9 -Divide the dough log into 15 even pieces and roll those pieces into balls.
Step 10 -Flatten the dough balls into 3-inch circles. The center of the balls should be thicker than the edges.
Step 11 -Add 1 tablespoon of the filling mixture into the center of each of the dough circles.
Step 12 -Bring the edges of the dough up, enclosing the filling, and pleating the edges together to seal the bun.
Step 13 -Turn the buns pleated-side down and place on a parchment-lined plate or a parchment-lined tray.
Step 14 -Cover with a tea towel and let them rise at room temperature until risen but not doubled, about 20 minutes.
Step 15 -Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 16 -Once the oil is hot, place the buns in the oil pleated-side down and giving each bun about 1/2-inch of space. Be prepared to work in batches if necessary.
Step 17 -Cook until the bottoms turn a golden-brown and become crispy, for about 2 minutes.
Step 18 -Add 1 cup of the cold water to the pan, making sure the water is about 1/2-inch deep and covers about 1/2 of the buns’ height. Add the extra water to achieve this depth.
Step 19 -Cover the lid and cook until almost all of the water has evaporated, for about 8-10 minutes.
Step 20 -Remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium.
Step 21 -Cook until all the water is absorbed and the bottom of the buns are crispy and browned, about 2 minutes.
Step 22 -Garnish with the buns with the black sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon of the green onions.
Step 23 -In a small bowl, combine the black vinegar, the remaining soy sauce, the remaining sesame oil, and the remaining green onions.
Step 24 -Serve the buns hot with the vinegar dipping sauce.
