Soup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao - 小笼包)

Method18 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the ½ lb pork skin strips and 1 lb meaty pork neck bones in a small pot and cover with cold blanching water. Bring to a rolling boil, then immediately drain. Discard that water, rinse the skin and bones, and rinse out the pot.

   Uses ½ lb pork skin, cut into 1-inch strips · 1 lb meaty pork neck bones · Cold water to cover the skin and bones, plus water for rinsing

2. 2

   Step 2: Return the drained, rinsed skin and bones from step 1 to the clean pot. Add the separate 4 cups fresh broth water, 2 ginger slices, the scallion (1) cut into 3 pieces and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

   Simmer aspic broth · 120 minUses Drained skin and bones only, excluding discarded blanching water · 4 cups fresh water for the aspic broth · 2 slices ginger · 1 scallion (cut into 3 pieces) · 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)

3. 3

   Step 3: Turn off the heat after the simmer in step 2 and strain the broth into shallow heatproof containers. Separate the strained liquid from the skin, bones and aromatics. Refrigerate the strained broth promptly, within 2 hours of cooking, without leaving it on the counter to cool completely. Cover when chilled and refrigerate overnight until firmly set as aspic. The finished yield is not specified.

   Uses Simmered aspic broth with skin, bones and aromatics

4. 4

   Step 4: Once the aspic from step 3 is set, combine the 1 cup dough flour with the 6 tbsp warm dough water, adding the water one tablespoon at a time. Work and knead for 15–20 minutes, checking from 15 minutes, until the dough is very soft and smooth.

   Uses 1 cup all-purpose flour for the dough · 6 tbsp warm water for the dough

5. 5

   Step 5: Cover all the soft, smooth dough from step 4 with a clean cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes. Make and chill the filling during this wait.

   Rest dumpling dough · 30 minUses Soft smooth dumpling dough

6. 6

   Step 6: Take the ground pork (1 lb) from the refrigerator and pulse it in a food processor for 30–60 seconds, checking from 30 seconds, until it resembles a paste. Transfer it to a mixing bowl.

   Uses 1 lb ground pork, 70% lean and 30% fat

7. 7

   Step 7: Add 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp sesame oil, ¾ tsp sugar, 3 tsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp filling water, ⅛ tsp white pepper and 1 tbsp minced ginger to the pork paste from step 6. Whip thoroughly for about 2 minutes until extremely well combined and light and airy. Keep the aspic separate for now.

   Uses Ground pork paste · 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry) · 3/4 teaspoon salt · 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil · 3/4 teaspoon sugar · 3 teaspoons soy sauce · 3 tablespoons water · 1/8 teaspoon white-pepper

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Dice enough firm homemade aspic from step 3 into ½-inch/about 1 cm pieces to make one heaping cup. Gently fold that measured portion into the seasoned pork paste from step 7 without overmixing. Keep any remaining aspic covered in the refrigerator.

   Uses One heaping cup set aspic only; remaining aspic and strained solids are separate · Seasoned airy pork filling

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Cover the pork-and-aspic filling from step 8 and refrigerate until assembly. If assembling immediately, put the filling in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm it, then return it to the refrigerator between small batches. Keep it cold; if it becomes too wet to handle during assembly, firm it again for another 15 minutes before continuing.

   Firm filling if assembling now · 15 minUses Pork-and-aspic filling

10. 10

    Step 10: Lightly dust a clean work surface with the separate dusting flour. Roll the rested dough from step 5 into a long cylinder about 1 inch thick, then cut into equal pieces of about 11 g each. Roll each into a disc about 3–3¼ inches/about 8 cm wide. Keep the dough and wrappers under a clean damp cloth to prevent drying.

    Uses Rested dumpling dough · All-purpose flour for light work-surface dusting · Clean water to dampen the covering cloth

11. 11

    Step 11: Line a bamboo steamer basket with clean food-safe cheesecloth. Keep the cloth inside the basket and clear of the heat source. Prepare enough basket space for the dumplings to sit apart.

12. 12

    Step 12: Take one wrapper from step 10 and about 1 tbsp of the chilled filling from step 9. Put the filling in the center, make 12–20 pleats and seal the top. Repeat only while the wrappers and filling allow, keeping unused filling refrigerated and the remaining dough covered. This makes about 18–20 dumplings; any unmatched raw filling remains separate and chilled.

    Uses Wrappers used for this batch; any unused dough and dusting supplies remain separate · About 1 tbsp per wrapper; the total filling used is not predetermined

13. 13

    Step 13: Place the sealed dumplings from step 12 in the cheesecloth-lined basket from step 11 about 2 inches/5 cm apart. Keep any dumplings awaiting another batch chilled.

    Uses Dumplings selected for this basket only; unused raw filling and dough stay separate

    
14. 14

    Step 14: Bring external steamer water to a boil in a steamer pot or wok. If using a wok, set the level so that inserting the basket raises the water only about ½ inch up the outside of its base; water must never touch the dumplings. Keep enough water for steaming and top up carefully as needed.

    Uses External steamer water as needed

15. 15

    Step 15: Set the filled basket from step 13 over the boiling steamer water from step 14 and cover. Steam over high heat for about 8 minutes, then check that the ground pork filling is fully cooked and reaches 71°C at the center. Continue steaming if needed before lifting the basket out. Steam further prepared baskets the same way, starting each check after boiling steam resumes and keeping waiting raw dumplings cold.

    Check soup dumpling filling · 8 minUses Dumplings in this filled basket only; waiting raw batches remain chilled · Boiling external steamer water

    
16. 16

    Step 16: While the dumplings steam, pour some Chinese black vinegar into a small dish and add the separately julienned serving ginger. Keep this dip separate from the filling soy sauce.

    Uses Chinese black vinegar · fresh ginger (julienned)

17. 17

    Step 17: Set out chopsticks and Chinese soup spoons. Check that the cooked dumplings from step 15 and the dipping sauce from step 16 are ready to serve.

18. 18

    Step 18: Carefully lift a cooked dumpling from step 15 off the cloth and dip it into the vinegar-and-ginger sauce from step 16. Transfer it to a soup spoon, let it cool enough to eat safely, and make a small opening in the side to sip the hot soup before eating the rest. Serve freshly steamed dumplings promptly. Keep any unused raw filling and remaining aspic refrigerated separately.

    Uses Cooked dumplings only, excluding steamer water or waiting raw batches · Black-vinegar and julienned-ginger dipping sauce