How to Make Pork Asado Siopao (Shaw-Pao or Sieu-Pao) - Chinese Steamed Buns with Pork Filling

Siopao...mmmmm.  I did use that adjective quite recently to describe my liking for roast pork known as Lechon in the Philippines.  But another snack that evokes happy childhood memories is siopao. 

The simple humble yet tasty siopao.

Why? The reason is simple -- it is a treat.  As a family, it was not very common for us to be eating out because my parents spent most of our resources in education that eating in restaurants became a very rare occasion.  And yes, despite the fact that eating dimsum in Chinese restaurants was not very expensive, still, money was better utilized in the educational investment. 

As the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." My mother has this old cookbook dating from November 1957 and printed on newsprint from the Manila Chronicle.  I love that cookbook because it had some recipes donated by prominent food companies and restaurants as part of their exposure to the public and somewhat sharing their "basic" secrets in making their products.  Not to mention the nostalgic pictures of the old style Pepsi Cola bottle or the seven ounce bottle of 7-Up.  Royal Tru-Orange had also once, Royal Tru-Lime and even Tru-Lemon.  Also, there was Cosmos Beverages, the makers of Sarsi Sarsaparilla when the formula was still made by the original owners, the Wongs.  So, there was Liberty Milk and their approach to Meat Loaf or Milk Maid Condensed Milk (remember that brand?) and their secret in making good Leche Flan.  Well, guess who gave their secret away - Ma Mon Luk.  I remember that page because it simply stated "Asado Siopao" and the final line on the right bottom corner of the page stated, "Courtesy of Ma Mon Luk Restaurant". 

A very old Milkmaid can - from the '50's perhaps.
I'm surprised the owner hasn't caught botulism yet!

And remember these? In 1957. the bottles were
even different than these.  They were straighter
and stouter somewhat similar to the
old-fashioned Pepsi bottle.

This is Pepsi in the 1950's - note the shape of the bottle.
"Light refreshment" - right! With all the sugar - I'm
sure this lady is fat with diabetes, cholesterol, strokes
CAD by now. Did I forget the hip replacements?

My father, not an expert cook though his father was, is the perennial food critic.  He has always stated, "I may not know how to cook but certainly, I know what is delicious and good!" And one of the things he said was, "Ang magandang siopao kailangan nababalatan."  Translation, "The good siopao has to be peel-able" - rather as "Good siopao can be peeled."  What does this mean?  If one notices in Ma Mon Luk, the old timers would sit with a cup of tea in one hand and siopao on the other.  Now, they do not just remove the paper backing and eat away; rather, they would peel the crust off the siopao's surface then eat.  As a child, I do not really understand this practice and just eat the whole thing but according to some, again a rumor, they say that the siopao has been mass produced and of course, been sitting in some box for probably a day or so that the surface was in contact with some unsanitary surface.  So, after steaming and presumably killing the bacteria, at least peeling the surface of the siopao removes this "dirty peel" of the bread.  

"Good siopao can be peeled."

Whether true or not, I judge the quality of a siopao product by that standard.  If the steamed bread crust is able to be peeled, then it is good.  The reason is this -- the crust guarantees the bread to have at least structure to hold the bun.  I notice that softer siopaos that are yeast raised may be over raised and probably containing too much fat that the bun is just too soft and the siopao ends flat after steaming and cooling to room temperature. Usually, this kind of siopao cannot be peeled because the surface is too gooey to be peeled in the first place.  This is especially true in that siopao that was popular in the 1970's that was very white and smooth but somewhat flat and if I remember right, they were made by a family located in Banawe in Quezon City.  While edible, its too soft with not much bite which is true of good steamed bread. 

In this recipe and technique, I am recreating the kind of siopao that Ma Mon Luk does and does well.  It has structure and therefore has a bite.  And the secret lies behind the proper proportions of flour, water and oil which preferably pork fat. 

SIOPAO (with Pork Asado filling - in the style of Ma Mon Luk - as per recipe dated November 1957 of the Manila Chronicle Recipe Book) 

Dough: 

• 5 cups flour 
• 2 cups warm water 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 
• 1-2 teaspoons salt 
• 1/2 cup pork fat (or bacon fat, chicharron/pork crackling fat) 

1. In a bowl of a heavy duty mixer, combine water and sugar.  Add yeast and mix with slow speed until well incorporated.  Turn off the mixer and leave to ferment which is a testament that the yeast is alive and well. 
2. Add oil and salt and mix further.  Changing the mixer whisk to a dough hook, add slowly half a cup of flour at a time, each time the flour should be well incorporated with the liquids and subsequently, dough.  The last two half cups should be added slowly to incorporate and make a dough that is dry to touch and resilient. 
3. Let rise for an hour or two (depending on the temperature and humidity) until double in bulk. Once risen, punch down and let rise again for another half hour or so. 
4. After the second rising, shape the dough into long loaves and cut into twenty four or so equal  pieces to first fill with the fillings then steam after a further but final 20-25 minutes of rising. 
5. Stream for twenty- five minutes and let rest for a few minutes before serving hot. 

Filling: 

• One kilo of pork - cubed into small pieces 
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon or more (if wanting a sweeter recipe) of white sugar 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• water to cover and braise until tender 

1. In a hot braising pot , saute the garlic until lightly brown.  Add the meat and saute further until half cooked. 
2. Add the sugar, salt and pepper and soy sauce.  Add water enough to simmer until the meat is tender. 
3. Drain the liquid and slice the meat to smaller pieces enough to spoon as filling into the dough. 
4. A trick to make the filling juicier and easier to spoon into the dough is to combine some of the braising liquid with the chopped cooked meat and thicken with a solution made of a tablespoon of cornstarch or cassava flour with a bit of water. 

   

   Yum! Pork Asado Siopao

   
   

   

   Chinese Sausage Siopao

 

In China, the buns are steamed and may be fried to be served
with condensed milk as a dessert.

Siopao without filling is called ManTou, which
is the bread of Cuapao.