VEGETARIAN BBQ PORK BUNS RECIPES

Steps:

• Mix all the seitan ingredients EXCEPT the vital wheat gluten. Then add the gluten as well and mix until a dough forms. Knead the stiff dough a few times. Then wrap very tightly in parchment paper or aluminum foil. The more secure the parchment/foil is, the firmer the seitan will be.
• Steam for 45 minutes over medium-high heat to cook through. Then, let it cool 5 - 10 minutes before putting in the fridge to chill. This will firm up the seitan to make for easier chopping. After putting the seitan in the fridge, it's a good time to start making the dough.
• Combine all the dough ingredients and mix well until it forms a sticky dough. You can use a mixer with dough attachment for this. Process for a minute or knead by hand for 5 to 10 minutes. Cover with a clean damp towel or vented lid and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• While the dough is rising, chop up the mushroom and onion, and measure your ingredients for the sauce. When the seitan is cool enough, chop that up too.
• Combine the slurry ingredients and set aside. In a large pan, heat a couple teaspoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the slice of ginger. Cook for a minute or until the ginger starts to brown on the bottom side.
• Add the onion and cook until soft; about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the mushrooms and cook until they are soft; about 5 minutes. Stir in the maltose/corn syrup, hoisin sauce, dark and light soy sauce, shao xing wine, and five spice powder and cook until bubbling; 2 - 3 minutes.
• Give the slurry a stir and pour it in. Stir well. The sauce will thicken quickly; about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped seitan. Taste and adjust for salt. Add a couple drops of red food colouring if you want your filling to be a bright red colour.
• Let the char siu mixture chill in the fridge while you form the dough.
• When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead a few times. Flour your hands as necessary as this dough will be quite sticky. Shape the dough into a log shape.
• Divide the dough into 12 pieces about 1.4oz each. Knead each piece lightly and roll them into balls. Flatten and roll out between 1/4" and 1/2" thick. Make the edges of the round thinner than the center.
• Take the slice of ginger out of the bowl of filling and discard. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the middle of a round. Use as much filling as you can, without breaking the dough. Pleat the edges together over the filling and pinch to secure. See video for demonstration. You may have some filling leftover; use it for fried rice!
• Place each bun on a square cut piece of parchment or use slightly flattened muffin liners.
• Cover the buns and let them rise for 30 minutes or until nice and puffy.
• Prepare your steaming apparatus. Place buns in the steamer basket, leaving some room for them to expand. Fill the steamer's base with plenty of water and let it come to a boil over high heat. Then set the steamer basket in place, turn the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Afterwards, remove the steamer basket from the heat but do not remove the lid; let it rest for 2 - 5 minutes. Then remove the buns and serve!
• If you don't have a steamer set, you can steam in a large pot. Choose a plate which you can fit easily into the pot. Crunch up three square pieces of alumium foil into three evenly size balls. Place them at the bottom of your large pot. Check that your plate can rest evenly on top of them. Then take the plate out and fill the bottom of the pot with water, careful to leave some of the foil balls sticking out. You don't want the boiling water to reach the plate. Set the plate on top of the foil balls and arrange the buns on the plate, leaving enough room for them to expand.
• Serve hot steamed buns immediately! These are best fresh.
• To store leftovers, allow the buns to cool completely, then place in a container and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat by microwaving 30 seconds or steaming over med-high heat for 3 minutes.
• To freeze leftovers, allow the buns to cool completely, then place in freezer bags, remove as much as as possible, and store in the freezer for up to one month. Reheat by microwave or steaming over med-high heat for 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Mix together pork, barbecue sauce, shallots, flour, chicken stock, soy sauce, oil, and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook the pork until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Allow to cool; shred or finely chop the meat.
• Prepare dough for Chinese Steamed Buns (see footnote).
• Shape dough into balls. Roll each out into a circle, (like won-ton wrappers). Put 1 tablespoonful of prepared meat mixture in the center of each circle, and wrap dough around filling. Place seam-side down onto wax paper squares. Let stand until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in wok, and reduce heat to medium; the water should still be boiling. Place steam-plate on a small wire rack in the middle of the wok. Transfer as many buns on wax paper as will comfortably fit onto steam-plate, leaving 1 to 2 inches between the buns. At least 2 inches space should be left between steam-plate and the wok. Cover wok with lid. Steam buns over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.
• REMOVE LID BEFORE you turn off heat, or else water will drip back onto bun surface and produce yellowish "blisters" on bun surfaces. Continue steaming batches of buns until all are cooked.