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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes |
Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Traditional hand-made Xiao Long Bao Ingredients:
the soup |
2 quarts of water |
2 pounds chicken bones (wings/back/neck) |
2 ounces of virginia smithfield ham (or cured chinese ham if you can get it), cut into 4 pieces |
1/2 pound of pork skin & fat (you can ask your butcher for this, he’ll most likely just give it to you. you could also use pork belly, or just a fatty cut of pork) |
3 slices of ginger “coins |
2 green onions, cut into 3″ pieces |
2 large garlic cloves, smashed with side of your knife |
2 teaspoons of shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) |
the agar-agar |
1 tablespoon powdered agar agar |
or 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin |
the filling |
1 lb ground pork |
1/4 lb peeled shrimp, deveined and minced finely |
3 stalks green onion, finely minced |
2 teaspoons sugar |
2 tablespoons soy sauce |
1 teaspoon salt |
1/2 teaspoon white pepper |
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (use rasp grater) |
1 teaspoon shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) |
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil |
the dough (makes about 40 dumplings) |
400 grams of all-purpose flour (but please re-read the part above re: dough) |
3/4 cups boiling hot water |
1/4 cup cold water |
1 tablespoon cooking oil |
the dipper |
2 tablespoons of sambal (hot chili & garlic sauce) |
1/2 cup black vinegar |
1/2 cup soy sauce |
1 teaspoon sesame oil |
1 tablespoon of shaved ginger |
Directions:
1. Please visit for detailed instructions, photos and slideshow on how to make Xiao Long Bao. Its very difficult to transfer recipe into this format, and I explain it so much better on my site.
2. THE SOUP
3. Wash pork thoroughly. Take the pork skin and with the backside of your knife, firmly scrape the surface of the skin to clean it further. Rinse again.
4. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. When all ingredients come to a boil, immediately turn to low heat and simmer for 2 hours. Skim surface of impurities constantly to keep soup clean and clear. Or, you could make the broth in half the time.
5. When the soup is done. Strain and discard solids. We will only use 4 cups of broth. (Save the rest for soup!)
6. THE AGAR AGAR
7. Place 4 cups of the broth back in the pot, turn on the heat. When barely boiling again, turn heat off and add the agar-agar or gelatin. Whisk for 2 minutes until all powder is dissolved. Pour broth into an 8×8 baking dish (size really doesn’t matter. if you a few plastic containers, use those instead. remember how you used to make jello?) Refrigerate until set, about 3-4 hours. (I stuck mine in the freezer after the first hour because I got impatient and it only took 2 hours)
8. THE FILLING
9. Mix all ingredients. When the broth gelatin is set, run a fork through it, with criss crossing motion, to break it up into very small 1/4″ pieces. Take about 1-1/2 cups of the broth gelatin and add that to the filling mixture. Stir to incorporate evenly throughout. Refrigerate until ready to use.
10. THE DOUGH
11. 1. Put about 360 grams (90% of the flour) of flour in a large bowl. Pour a about a third of the hot water in the flour. Use a pair of chopsticks to stir vigorously. Add more hot water. Stir more. Add the last bit of the water and stir vigorously until the dough begins to form. Add the cold water and oil. Keep stirring vigorously with chopsticks. Stop when you can’t stir anymore. Dust counter with the remainder 40 grams of flour. Place dough on floured surface, use your hands to knead the dough for 8 -10 minutes, until it becomes soft, smooth and bounces back slowly when you poke with your finger. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.
12. 2. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Take one piece (cover the remaining 3 pieces with plastic wrap) and roll it into a long log, about 1-1/4″ diameter. Using pastry scraper or knife, cut dough into pieces about the size of a golf ball. Roll one of the balls between your palms to get a nice, round, smooth ball. Using a rolling pin, roll it out flat. Use 3″ cookie cutter or improvise with my ghetto version of a cutter to cut out the dough circle. **Note, you may need more flour as your are rolling out your dough. I always keep the counter dusted and a small pile of flour nearby so I can quickly nudge some over if I need it.
13. 3. Fill with 1 T of filling, pinch pleat by following the slideshow above. Repeat with rest. Make sure that you cover any dough that you aren’t currently using and cover the dumplings with a towel.
14. THE DIPPING SAUCE
15. Combine ingredients
16. *Ginger: Take a big knob - about 2 inches long. Remove skin. Use your sharp paring knife to get a flat surface on one of the long sides. With a vegetable peeler, cut thin strips along the long side of the ginger. Use knife to further cut the strips into super-thin slices. This way, you get the full flavor of ginger in your sauce + the crunch of the little strips of ginger as you eat without tough, fibrous pieces of ginger.
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