Pan-Fried Pork Buns

Time :2

Yield :15 servings

Recipe Background

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

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.
Cover the filling mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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.
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.
Form the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Knead the dough to remove any air bubbles, about 2 minutes.
Using the extra flour, lightly dust a work surface. Transfer the dough onto the prepared work surface and roll it into a log.
Divide the dough log into 15 even pieces and roll those pieces into balls.
Flatten the dough balls into 3-inch circles. The center of the balls should be thicker than the edges.
Add 1 tablespoon of the filling mixture into the center of each of the dough circles.
Bring the edges of the dough up, enclosing the filling, and pleating the edges together to seal the bun.
Turn the buns pleated-side down and place on a parchment-lined plate or a parchment-lined tray.
Cover with a tea towel and let them rise at room temperature until risen but not doubled, about 20 minutes.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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.
Cook until the bottoms turn a golden-brown and become crispy, for about 2 minutes.
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.
Cover the lid and cook until almost all of the water has evaporated, for about 8-10 minutes.
Remove the lid and reduce the heat to medium.
Cook until all the water is absorbed and the bottom of the buns are crispy and browned, about 2 minutes.
Garnish with the buns with the black sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon of the green onions.
In a small bowl, combine the black vinegar, the remaining soy sauce, the remaining sesame oil, and the remaining green onions.
Serve the buns hot with the vinegar dipping sauce.