You may not know them by name, but if you’ve ever been to a dim-sum restaurant and feasted your eyes on stacks of mysterious dishes, choosing one here, one there as you eat your way through this traditional Chinese take on the buffet, you’ve probably run across little buns, baked or steamed, stuffed with seasoned pork, sweet bean paste, or custard. These buns are called bao. Every culture seems to have a variation on the pastry-with-savory-stuff-inside: empanadas from Spain, calzones from Italy, and so forth. Bao are China’s version, and they’re delicious.
I love bao, and I make a point of getting them whenever I’m in a decent-sized Chinatown area. The pork ones make a great meal, but of course I haven’t had one since I went veggie. Nathan recently brought me some custard and bean-paste bao from his vacation in Boston, and they were heavenly. Then, on my trip to Chicago last week, I discovered that there’s even a local chain restaurant dedicated to them (I didn’t eat there, so I can’t pass judgment). So I felt the need to make some myself.
I wanted to replicate the pork buns (char siu bao) that I used to enjoy so much. I borrowed this recipe, and made a few small modifications, mostly by replacing the pork with tofu. I also added a little sesame oil, dropped the chili paste and sake (I didn’t have any) and swapped in a little white wine and rice vinegar instead. I added a little salt and cinnamon, hoping to give a little of the earthy, salty pork flavor. I’m not sure what other seasonings to use to imitate pork — the tofu was just a vehicle for the sauce, which was tasty, but I think seitan might stand against it better. A properly flavored, homemade seitan might be just right for next time.
Steaming them was only slightly tricky. I don’t have a nice basket steamer, and the first round stuck to my vegetable steamer. However, I put a square of wax paper under each one in the second batch, and they came out perfect. There’s nothing worse than making stuffed things, and having them fall apart before you get to eat them!
I froze all the bao I didn’t eat, and they’re going to be my lunch all week. They’re perfect because they microwave well – I’ve made empanadas before with a similar goal of having convenient lunches at work, but the buttery empanada dough gets soggy in the microwave. The bao, in contrast, get warm and steamy. And this recipe made lots – I got 16 buns out of it, and one makes a comfortable lunch.
I need to make a habit out of this, and keep these on hand. And I want to try making other varieties, though I’ve rarely see savory bao except pork. Something with vegetables in it would be nice. Tofu with mushrooms? Bok choy? And sweet sticky custard buns for dessert! I think you could fill them with just about anything, though I like the idea of staying within the realm of Chinese flavors and ingredients. What would you use?