Steamed Pork Buns

1) Brown the pound of pork in a pan until brown on all sides. We use any kind of pork we happen to find on sale.

2) Place the pork in a crockpot with 1 cup of water, and season with the teriyaki, hoisin sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 5 – 6 hours.

3) While the pork is cooking, place the 1 cup of warm water in a large mixing bowl and add the package of active yeast. Add one cup of flour, then cover it with a tea towel and let stand until bubbles appear on the surface (15 – 20 minutes).

4) Add the sugar and the vegetable oil to the 1/2 cup of boiling water, and mix to dissolve the sugar. Let cool until warm to the touch. Then mix the yeast mixture, the sugar/oil mixture, and the remaining flour all in a large mixing bowl.

5) Mix the dough until it becomes stiff, and then place on a floured surface and knead it until it becomes nice and smooth (this takes me about 15 minutes, but I am no expert ‘kneader’!)

6) Coat a large bowl with the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and put the smooth ball of dough into the bowl. Coat the dough with the vegetable oil and then cover the bowl with a slightly damp tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

7) When the pork is cooked through, remove from the juices in the crockpot and pull the pork apart. It should come apart very easily at this point. you can use two forks or whatever method works for you. Then add to the shredded pork about 1/4 cup of the juice from the crockpot (if pork is dry). Season with the remaining 2/3 cups of hoisin sauce until the taste is wonderful. I find I just keep seasoning and tasting the pork, without using a specific amount of the hoisin sauce. It is all about personal preference.

8.) Roll the ball of dough into a large log, and then slice off pieces that are approximately 1 inch thick. Flatten each piece into a 2.5 – 3.5 inch circle, and place 1 to 2 tablespoons of the seasoned pork in the middle.

9) Pinch all of the edges together over the filling to seal, and then place pinched-side down on aluminum foil. Cover with a tea towel and allow them to rise for about 1 hour. I get anywhere from 20 to 24 buns out of this recipe.

10) Fill a pot with about 2 inches of water, and place a vegetable steamer on top. If you line the vegetable steamer with parchment paper, and then use a pencil to poke out the holes of the steamer, this will allow the buns to come out nicely and not stick to the pot.

11) When water is boiling, place 3 or 4 buns in the steamer (do not layer them or they will stick together), and cover with a lid. Allow them to cook for 10 minutes, then remove and enjoy! Repeat with the remaining buns.

Note: These freeze extremely well in a bag or a container, as long as the layers are separated by parchment paper (so they don’t stick together).