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1
Make the jellied stock in advance so it has time to cool. Put the stock and pork skin in a small saucepan, bring to the boil then lower the heat. Cover the pan and cook at a low simmer until the skin is tender. Cool to room temperature. Remove the skin and, holding it over the saucepan, squeeze as much liquid as possible into the stock. Discard the skin and put the stock in the fridge to cool until set.
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2
Mix the minced pork with the chives, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Shape a small amount of the filling into a meatball and pan-fry it in a skillet, then taste to see if the seasonings are correct. If needed, adjust the seasonings. Cut the jellied stock into small pieces and mix it into the filling. Cover the filling with cling-film then refrigerate for at least two hours.
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3
Make the dough. Put the flour in a bowl, add the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon. As soon as the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it with your hands until it's cohesive and smooth. If it's dry, add a little more boiling water; if it's sticky, add a small amount of flour. Wrap it in cling-film and leave to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
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4
Unwrap the dough, then roll it into a long snake. Cut the dough into 24 pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball, put them close together on a work surface, then cover them with a clean dish towel.
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5
Roll each piece of dough into a circle that's 8-10cm in diameter, flattening the edges so they're slightly thinner than the centre.
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6
Spoon some of the filling into the centre of the circle - you want the bun to be as full as possible without making any holes in the wrapper. Gently pull the dough over the filling and firmly pinch the seams to seal the bun - if necessary, use a little water to dampen the edges slightly so they stick. Shape the meat bun into a round ball, then gently flatten it into a disc, seam side-down.
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7
As each bun is finished, lay it on a lightly oiled pan. When all the buns are shaped, drape a lightly oiled piece of cling-film over them and chill for at least 30 minutes.
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8
Heat a well-oiled skillet over a medium flame. When the skillet is hot, add one layer of meat buns seam side-down (you'll need to cook them in batches). Pan-fry the buns for about five minutes in total, flipping them over once, and adjusting the heat as needed so they're medium-golden on each side.
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9
Serve the buns hot, with vinegar and/or chilli paste, if desired.
