Pork Asado Siopao (Steamed Buns)

Siopao (SIO-PAU) is a popular Filipino food which is originally from the Chinese. It is soft and spongy meat-filled white buns made of flour and cooked in a steamer instead of baked in the oven. The fillings are usually asado (pork, chicken or beef with sweet salty taste) or bola-bola (meatballs).

When I was still working at a local government unit in the Philippines, there was this kind lady who sells food items to employees during our office break. I would usually grab a siopao or two and pay only 10 pesos for both (25 cents in USD). It was so good I didn’t mind eating it everyday!

Now that I’m living in the US, I couldn’t find siopao as easily as before. My cravings for these tasty steamed buns encouraged me to learn how to make it. Through various trials and error, I finally able to come up with a recipe that yields a soft and spongy siopao with a delicious pork asado filling.

PORK ASADO FILLING

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes

Yields: enough to make 16 pieces medium-size siopaos

Ingredients:
3 lbs lean pork (or 1 ½ kilos) , cut into small cubes
3 tbsp vegetable oil (or any cooking oil you have for sautéing)
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup + 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (if using regular soy sauce, use less and adjust according to taste)
¼ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup + 1 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp cornstarch
4 cups water

Tools You’ll Need:
Knife
Cutting board
Deep skillet
Cooking spoon

Procedure:
1. Mix 1 cup of water with 4 tbsp cornstarch and set aside.
2. Heat skillet on high. Add oil and sauté garlic and onions until garlic is slightly browned and onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.
3. Add sliced pork and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
4. Add 3 cups water, brown sugar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce into the pot. Mix and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and simmer for one hour. Most of the liquid should have evaporated at this point.
5. Stir the pre-mixed cornstarch and water and pour into the pot. Mix and continue to cook for 15 minutes or so until most of the liquid is gone.
6. Turn off heat and shred the meat using a fork. Set aside to cool until siapao dough is ready.

SIOPAO DOUGH

Yields: 16 pieces

Prep Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups warm water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
½ cup white sugar
4 cups unbleached bread flour + ¼ cup for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ cup vegetable shortening
6 cups of water
1 tbsp white vinegar

Tools You’ll Need:
Medium bowl or 2-cup measuring glass
Large mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoon
Rolling pin
Knife or dough cutter
Steamer
Wax paper (16 pcs 4” x 4” squares)
Cheesecloth or kitchen towel

Procedure:
1. In a medium bowl or measuring glass, mix 1 ½ cup of warm water (not hot), yeast, and 2 tablespoon of white sugar. Stir with a spoon until blended and set aside for 10 minutes till you see the mixture bubbles up.

2. In a large mixing bowl add 4 cups of flour, salt, remaining sugar, and baking powder. Mix quickly using a whisk. Throw in the shortening and mix thoroughly until it has incorporated into the dry ingredients.

3. Slowly add the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture until you form a batter. It should be sticky but not too much. Add a little bit of flour until it no longer sticks to your fingers.

4. Sprinkle flour into a clean, flat surface, and knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Use the heel of your hand to press and stretch the dough, fold it over and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat process until the dough is elastic and smooth. Form into a round ball and place back into the mixing bowl. Cover with kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours until it doubles in size.

5. While still in the mixing bowl, punch down dough with your knuckles to remove air pockets.

6. Move dough back into a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Form into a ball and cut into 4 equal parts.

7. Roll each into a log and cut into 4 smaller pieces.

8. Flatten dough piece with a rolling pin or the palm of your hand, stretching the dough outwards.

9. Add about 1 ½ tbsp pork asado filling on the center.

10. Gather the edges towards the center and pinch to close. Twist and pinch to seal.

11. Place a sheet of wax paper on the bottom of each siopao and arrange on a single layer in the steamer 1 inch apart to prevent sticking to each other. Place cheesecloth or kitchen towel on top of buns before putting the lid on. This prevents condensed water from soaking the buns while steaming. Add 6 cups of water into steamer pot and add 1 tbsp of white vinegar (to make the siopao whiter). Bring to a rolling boil and steam for 15 minutes.

12. Remove from steamer to cool before serving. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers and just throw in microwave for 30 seconds to a minute to reheat. I usually wrap individual siopao with plastic cling wrap before putting them in Ziploc bags for freezing. They’re good up to 6 months.

Pork Asado Siopao (Steamed Buns)

 

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Prep time

3 hours

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

3 hours 45 mins

 

Author: Mia

Recipe type: Snack

Serves: 16 pieces

Ingredients

• PORK ASADO FILLING
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cooking Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Yields: enough to make 16 pieces medium-size siopaos
• Ingredients:
• 3 lbs lean pork (or 1 ½ kilos) , cut into small cubes
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or any cooking oil you have for sautéing)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (if using regular soy sauce, use less and adjust according to taste)
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 cups water
• SIOPAO DOUGH
• Yields: 16 pieces
• Prep Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
• Cooking Time: 45 minutes
• Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• ½ cup white sugar
• 4 cups unbleached bread flour + ¼ cup for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 6 cups of water
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

Instructions

1. Procedure: (PORK ASADO FILLING)
2. Mix 1 cup of water with 4 tbsp cornstarch and set aside.
3. Heat skillet on high. Add oil and sauté garlic and onions until garlic is slightly browned and onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.
4. Add sliced pork and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
5. Add 3 cups water, brown sugar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce into the pot. Mix and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and simmer for one hour. Most of the liquid should have evaporated at this point.
6. Stir the pre-mixed cornstarch and water and pour into the pot. Mix and continue to cook for 15 minutes or so until most of the liquid is gone.
7. Turn off heat and shred the meat using a fork. Set aside to cool until siapao dough is ready.
8. Procedure: (SIOPAO DOUGH & ASSEMBLY)
9. In a medium bowl or measuring glass, mix 1 ½ cup of warm water (not hot), yeast, and 2 tablespoon of white sugar. Stir with a spoon until blended and set aside for 10 minutes till you see the mixture bubbles up.
10. In a large mixing bowl add 4 cups of flour, salt, remaining sugar, and baking powder. Mix quickly using a whisk. Throw in the shortening and mix thoroughly until it has incorporated into the dry ingredients.
11. Slowly add the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture until you form a batter. It should be sticky but not too much. Add a little bit of flour until it no longer sticks to your fingers.
12. Sprinkle flour into a clean, flat surface, and knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Use the heel of your hand to press and stretch the dough, fold it over and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat process until the dough is elastic and smooth. Form into a round ball and place back into the mixing bowl. Cover with kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours until it doubles in size.
13. While still in the mixing bowl, punch down dough with your knuckles to remove air pockets.
14. Move dough back into a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Form into a ball and cut into 4 equal parts.
15. Roll each into a log and cut into 4 smaller pieces.
16. Flatten dough piece with a rolling pin or the palm of your hand, stretching the dough outwards.
17. Add about 1 ½ tbsp pork asado filling onto the center.
18. Gather the edges towards the center and pinch to close. Twist and pinch to seal.
19. Place a sheet of wax paper on the bottom of each siopao and arrange on a single layer in the steamer 1 inch apart to prevent sticking to each other. Place cheesecloth or kitchen towel on top of buns before putting the lid on. This prevents condensed water from soaking the buns while steaming. Add 6 cups of water into steamer pot and add 1 tbsp of white vinegar (to make the siopao whiter). Bring to a rolling boil and steam for 15 minutes.
20. Remove from steamer to cool before serving. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers and just throw in microwave for 30 seconds to a minute to reheat. I usually wrap individual siopao with plastic cling wrap before putting them in Ziploc bags for freezing. They’re good up to 6 months.

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