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1
The dough:
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2
Cut up the parchment paper into 24 squares about 10 cm / 3 inches square.
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3
Proof the yeast in a bowl or cup in the 1/4 cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar added, until foamy.
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4
In a large bowl, put in 5 cups of the flour. Make a well in the center, and add the hot water and mix rapidly.
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5
Add the sugar and yeast/water mixture, baking powder, warm milk, and the shortening or lard. Mix well.
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6
Add the rest of the flour little by little until you have a workable dough. Knead for a few minutes on a floured board until it's soft and pliable.
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7
Put into a large bowl, cover with a clean towel, and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
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8
Take out the dough and roll into one long sausage. Cut the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and let rest for a bit.
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9
To fill the buns, flatten each ball so that the middle is slightly thicker than the edges. Put about a tablespoon or so of filling in the middle. Gather up the edges and pinch them firmly together to seal, then turn the bun over and place on a square of parchment paper. Let the buns rise for 15-20 minutes before steaming.
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10
Steam in a steamer for 20 minutes. Eat while piping hot.
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11
The filling:
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12
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water until soft. Cut off the hard stems and slice thinly.
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13
Cube the pork, or chop it up finely.
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14
Mix the flour and cornstarch with the water.
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15
In a pan heat the sesame oil and toss in all the ingredients except the flour/cornstarch water. Saute briefly, then add the flour/cornstarch water. Cook until it's a bit syrupy.
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16
Let cool and use to fill the buns.
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17
The Chinese-style roast pork (Chinese: char siu; Japanese: yakibuta).
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18
If you have a big piece of pork, cut it into about 500g pieces.
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19
Roughly chop the ginger, skin on is okay, and crush the garlic to crush a bit.
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20
Put the pork pieces in a sturdy plastic bag or container. Put in the pork, ginger, star anise and garlic, and fill with enough soy sauce to cover the pork.
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21
Seal the bag well and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Turn the meat several times if you can so that the marinade penetrates evenly.
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22
Preheat the oven to 140u00b0 C / 280u00b0F
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23
Empty out the contents of the bag into a baking dish. Add a bit of water so that the meat is sitting in about 1cm of liquid.
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24
Sprinkle the meat with sugar, and bake for about 2.5 - 3 hours, turning the meat every 20-30 minutes. If you want it even sweeter, sprinkle more sugar on the meat periodically.
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25
At the end, the liquid will be almost gone and syrupy, and you will have dark amber colored pieces of pork.
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26
Let cool and slice thin, cube, etc. You can use cubes in fried rice, or in the steamed buns of course, and any number of things.
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27
It is quite worthwhile to make this in some quantity, since the cooking takes so long, and to freeze in portions for later use.
