Char Siu Bao/BBQ Pork Bun/叉燒包/叉烧包

I think I can still remember all the times that my dad had offered to buy a me a char siu bun or mung bean bun (red bean sometimes, not as common in Jakarta 1990s). The act was always perceived gracefully because my dad rarely offered me anything available on the streets. Yet I never managed to savour the buns, because Jakarta street buns tasted like washed out vomit.

Since so, I never am fond of Char siu bun like the rest of Chinese kids around the block. The idea of someone offering me the bun gives me a dread in my gut. Along the line of time, I opened my heart or was pressed to a corner with the bun. Some actually tasted not too bad... OK, a few were amazing.

I remember one of the awesome one was from my ex's mum. She kept on offering me the bun ever since I mentioned that I had liked it to my ex. "Well, you're so hard to please. You can cook everything. You know where to find all the delicious spot to eat in Jakarta. My mum's just making sure that your cravings are covered."

"It's kinda hard to swallow if I got to come here everyday, don't you think?"

Somewhat I have this pattern of being good with mums. Seems like most of them like me more than the daughter sometimes.(awkward!)

Light texture of Char Siu Bao reminds me of...

My observations go to say that good Char siu bao's pretty much need a good Char Siu. It doesn't matter how different are each bread, they're the forgotten part. It's all about what's inside. In fact, if you like your bread bitey, just use bread flour; if the opposite, use cake flour. I used half bread and half plain here.

Char Siu Bao
yields 15 buns

For filling,
200g cooked Char Siu, diced to 2cm chunks
1 small onion, sliced
1 Tbs dark soy sauce
1 ts sugar
1 ts Michiu or gin
1 ts hoisin sauce
1 ts oyster sauce
1 ts white vinegar (white wine or rice)
1 ts tomato paste
1/2 ts sesame oil
1 Tbs cornstarch (or tapioca starch) mix in 1/2 cup cold water
1 Tbs pork lard

1. In a non-stick frying pan, fry onion slowly in medium heat with lard. When it turn slightly brown, add in everything and stir to boil. Set aside in a bowl and leave to cool.

For dough,
1 Tbs active dry yeast (or 1 Tbs fresh cake yeast)
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 cup tepid water
4 cups organic flour (plain, bread or cake)
1 ts salt
3 Tbs melted pork lard or canola oil
2 ts baking powder

extra flour

1. In a large bowl, mix yeast, sugar and tepid water. Leave to froth up some yeasty foam for 10 minutes. If not foamy, buy a new yeast.
2. Stir in flour, salt and lard with fork. Knead until smooth and elastic- about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in warm room for 1-3 hours (until at least doubled).
3. Press down the dough and knead in baking powder for 1 minute. Flour kitchen bench generously. Take about 3 Tbs worth of dough and roll in your hands to make a round ball. Roll out the ball with rolling pin, dust with flour to avoid sticking, to 15cm diameter.
4. Spoon 1 Tbs worth of filling (see above). Pinch the outer ends of the round flattened dough with your right hand whilst cupping your left hand, you'd end up with a flower appearance. Cup the dough fully with left hand, and gather all the pinch ends with right hand whilst doing a twisting and a little pull motion. Set the dough on a floured tray or non-stick baking tray. Repeat until you have about 15. Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
5. Heat steamer to maximum. Steam the dough for about 12 minutes. Serve!

Here's a little pictorial instructions on the tricky bits. Worst comes to worst, you can always have a rounded bun like the second bun photo. It's all about the filling remember!

Starring

Mushing

Waiting

Oh Poor Amy...

"I told you, I was trouble. You know that I'm no good."-Amy Winehouse

Oh! Before I get lost or lost you all, I should probably write down my itinerary here.

Now that I'm finishing my formal training to become a doc, I will spend the next 3 months to travel my heart out... well it's also a formally-informal requirement to graduate...

Here we go,

August 1-6
Melbourne.
Formally, I would attend the Asian Psychiatry Conference 2011. Family wise, my cousin is currently pregnant and planning to have a rabbit scorpio (exactly like me plus 24 years). I thought it's a stupid idea, because I am no good at money handling and I am definitely moody. But hey, it's her choice and I am honoured!

Then, back to Wellington to accept my job offer as a doctor in November.

August 12-18
Taiwan.
Eat. Travel. Eat. Travel. Eat. Sleep. Drink Tea. Visit Tea farm. Drink more tea. Eat. Sleep. Travel.

And Thanks to Maya @Foodiva's Kitchen, she opened my eyes to a breath-taking Taiwanese gal... a gal I am going to find and marry imaginatively, whilst in Taiwan. Here's her video:

"Sketch the trees and daffodils, catch the breeze and winter chill."-Joanna Wang

August 18-October 12
Seoul.
Plastic Surgery in Samsung Hospital, Ir-won. Learning the phenomena of young Korean girls seeking their beauty. Not really keen on being a plastic surgeon, but mum hooked me up with the best Chief plastic surgeon in Korea who does all the celebs.
Visiting my mum's side of family.
Learning Korean and real Korean cooking.
Wondering around Korea, China & Japan impulsively.

October 12-November 5
Perth.
Cardiology in Hollywood hospital. My weakest link of medicine. Will it be my strongest after?
Back to where I drastically grew up to become a man. Visiting my friends and cousin. Having my first birthday without a pending-next-day-end-of-year-exam.

November 6- November 12
Jakarta.
Home Home Home Home Home Home!!!!!

November 12
Back to Wellington. Signing off my medical training.

I definitely need a lot of travel and food recommendations to the places I am about to visit. If you have any suggestions, do share please...
And if you happen to be where I'd be and you'd like to meet up, I am here or in Facebook actively.

My posts and frequency of posts will be a mystery to me. I won't be in my sacred kitchen for a while and I have only a few posts left before I'm off to fill my open book of life.