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Hmong Steam Buns(Kas Las Paus)
Hmong Steam Buns(Kas Las Paus)
I’m a sucker for steam buns of all types. This is a Hmong version called kas las paus. The filling consists of ground chicken, Chinese sausage, and wood ear and shiitake mushrooms. The dough for the buns is a non-yeast version, meaning you don’t have to wait hours on end for the dough to rise. These steam buns are a great appetizer, snack, or a quick bite when on the go.
Equipment
- standing mixer with dough hook attachment
- rolling pin
- parchment paper
- bamboo steamer basket
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken thigh or ground pork
- 6 Chinese sausage finely diced
- 1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms finely chopped
- 8 shiitake mushrooms finely chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 cup green onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp white pepper
Steam Bun Dough
- 4 cups flour plus more for bench flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/3 cup milk
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients in an upright mixer.
- Add the wet ingredients and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temp for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, mix all of the filling ingredients together.
- Lay out bench flour on a clean surface. Roll out the dough and cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Roll out the dough into 6” discs, making sure the center is thicker than the edges.
- Place a meatball sized clump of the filling in the center of the dough.
- Pinch the opposing sides together like so.
- Pinch each of the opposing corners together to for a bun.
- Place the buns on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper. Cut out squares around the buns. Alternatively, you can place the buns in muffin tin liners.
- Place the buns in a bamboo steamer, making sure to not overcrowd. The buns will expand.
- Steam the buns over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Allow the buns to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Mushroom Soup
Mushroom Soup
It was -30 degrees out at the time I made this Hmong mushroom soup. It was definitely soup time and this just hit the spot. This simple soup consists of a variety of mushrooms simmered with lemongrass, chilies, cilantro, and culantro. Once you bring the pot of water to boil, the soup is ready in 10 minutes.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 2 lbs mixed mushrooms wood ear, enoki, shiitake, shemiji, seafood
- 2 stalks lemongrass finely chopped
- 3 Thai chilies finely chopped
- 6 springs cilantro chopped
- 6 sprigs culantro chopped
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the mushrooms. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lemongrass and salt. Continue simmering for 5 minutes.
- Add in the chilies and simmer for a minute.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and culantro.
Char Siu Pork Belly
Char Siu Pork Belly
It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with char siu. So why not apply the marinade to pork belly?! It might take 3 days to marinate, but once ready to cook, the pork belly is ready in under 30 minutes. The skin on the bottom turns crispy while a portion of the fat renders out, making the pork belly super tender and flavorful. Thinly slice and serve as an appetizer or as a main course over steamed rice with a vegetable.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 red bean curd cube plus 1 tbsp of the juice
- 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp honey plus 1 tbsp for the glaze
- 2 tsp 5 spice powder
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp red food coloring
- 2 skin on pork belly slabs 1/2-3/4lb each
Instructions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together.
- Marinate the pork belly for 3 days in a storage bag, making sure to squeeze out all of the air.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the pork belly on a wire rack on a baking sheet lined in foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While pork belly is baking, add the extra marinade to a pot with a tbsp of honey. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat, constantly whisking until it becomes a thick glaze.
- Take the pork belly out of the oven. Brush with the glaze. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Do this process a total of 3 times.
