Roast Pork Puffs

Roast Pork Puffs

Roast Pork Puffs

These roast pork puffs are very reminiscent of Chinese steamed pork bao, except the dough is made out of puff pastry. They are baked instead of steamed, resulting in a buttery flaky exterior.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: appetizer, Chinese, East Asian, Pork
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • rolling pin
  • muffin pan with liners

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup white onion finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup char siu roast pork finely diced
  • 1 sheet puff pastry
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Heat up cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions for 4 minutes.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Pour in the soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Simmer for a minute.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Whisk in the chicken stock and cornstarch. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow to thicken for a couple of minutes.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Add in the char siu. Allow the filling to completely cool.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a floured surface.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Cut into 16 squares.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Scoop a tbsp of the filling into the center of the pastry square.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Place another sheet over the top. Crimp the edges with a fork.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Put each pork puff into a greased muffin liner in a muffin pan. Brush the tops with the egg wash.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • Bake the pork puffs in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
Chinese, appetizer, pork
Serve the pork puffs as an appetizer.

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)

If I was put on death row and asked what the last thing on Earth that I'd like to eat, my final meal, char siu would be on the top of the list. I have loved this bbq pork ever since I was a little kid. My family would order everything with bbq pork in it from the Chinese restaurant that we got take out from. I love this pork so much, I snuck some of the pork in the picture into the movie theatre in a ziplock bag.
Char siu is typically made out of pork shoulder. It can be made out of pork sirloin, pork loin, or tenderloin; but they tend to be less juicy than pork shoulder. Fat is a good thing here. You will want a 3lbs. piece of boneless pork shoulder. I purchased a whole bone in shoulder and processed out the coppa roast and the flat iron, If the coppa roast was a beef cut, you'd know it as a chuck eye roast. You don't have to go to this extreme. You can use any part of the shoulder. I just happen to know how to cut these muscles out of the shoulder and use them. Cut the pork shoulder into 2" in diameter chunks with the grain. 
The char siu gets its color from the red bean curd. If you've ever seen this pork really red, the color will be coming from red food coloring. But I want to avoid food coloring as much as possible. The red color in the bean curd comes from a natural fungus. This pork needs to marinate for at least 3 days.
When ready to cook the pork, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Yes, 400 degrees. Normally when you think of cooking pork shoulder, you cook it low and slow. Not here. It will be tender. Trust me. I was skeptical the first time I tried making this. Roast this for 15 minutes. Pull it out of the oven and brush on the glaze. Roast for 7 minutes. You want to do this for 3 times total. The honey will caramelize the outside while the bean curd juice will give it a nice red color. Once done roasting, let sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Marinating Time3 days
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: appetizer, Chinese, East Asian, main course, Pork
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 3 red bean curd cubes + 2 tbsp liquid
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
  • 3/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced

Pork Glaze

  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp red bean curd liquid
  • 1 tbsp cooked marinade

Instructions

  • Take a 3lb. piece of pork shoulder and cut it into a few long chunks with the grain. Each piece should be around 2″ in diameter. In this picture, I cut out the coppa roast and the flat iron. The coppa roast is the center muscle of the shoulder. If this was beef, you’d know it as a chuck eye roast.
    Chinese, main course, appetizer, pork
  • Mix together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red bean curd cubes and liquid, 5 spice powder, honey, cooking, wine, white pepper, sesame, oil, and garlic cloves. Mash the bean curds into a paste. Mix everything thoroughly.
    Chinese, main course, appetizer, pork
  • Add the pork shoulder pieces and the marinade to a gallon sized ziplock bag. Marinate for 72 hours. Turn the bag over every 12 hours.
    Chinese, main course, appetizer, pork
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lay the pork shoulder pieces on a rack onto of a foil covered baking sheet. Add a couple cups of water to the baking sheet to prevent smoking. Roast the pork for 15 minutes.
    Chinese, appetizer, pork
  • While the pork is roasting, mix together honey, red bean curd liquid, and some of the marinade. Make sure to cook the marinade in the microwave for a few seconds before mixing in. Now you have your pork glaze.
    Chinese, main course, appetizer, pork
  • After the first 15 minutes of roasting, take the pork out of the oven and brush on the pork glaze. Don’t worry about getting the bottom. Put the pork back in the oven and roast for 7 minutes. Repeat this step 2 more times, for a total of 3 glazes.
  • After the final glazing and roasting, let the pork rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
    Chinese, main course, pork