I go out for dim sum every weekend with my grandparents and there are a few items I MUST get. Siu mai is a classic dim sum item that I have to order every time I go. It is a type of steamed pork and shrimp dumpling that is surprisingly easy to make and perfect with chili oil.
What cut of meat to use for siu mai
I prefer using pork shoulder because it usually has a good ratio of meat to fat. This way I don’t need to add any additional fat to the meat. I usually buy a whole piece of pork shoulder which can be about 1 kg. Of that whole piece I only use 200-250g. The remaining amount I use for other dishes.
Why rinse the meat after cutting?
When you rinse the meat in cold water, you will notice that the water turns pink. This is the myoglobin coming out of the meat which is what gives it the red color. It is not too big of a deal in my opinion but I just like to give it a quick rinse.
How to prepare shitake mushrooms
The shitake mushrooms I use are dried and the fastest way to rehydrate them is by soaking them in hot water then covering with plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes. This is perfect because we end up using the mushrooms stock for the filling anyways.
What type of wrappers to use for siu mai
For this recipe I use square wonton wrappers that are yellow in color. You can also use round dumpling wrappers. I cut off the edges of the square wrappers because if not, the corners would just be flapping on top and it would not look as great.
Siu Mai (Dim Sum)
Ingredients
- square wonton wrappers
- 250 g pork shoulder
- 100 g shrimp
- 2 dried shitake mushrooms
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp mushroom stock
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp corn starch
- masago
Instructions
- Soak your shitake mushrooms in boiling water and let them soak for 30 minutes covered. Reserve the mushroom stock for later.2 dried shitake mushrooms
- Cut your pork shoulder into a 250g piece. Separate the 250g piece into smaller strips to make it easier to dice.250 g pork shoulder
- Give our pork shoulder a really fine dice and it should almost look like ground pork after you are finished.
- Rinse with cold water to get rid of the myoglobin.
- Strain and dry with a paper towel. Add it to a mixing bowl.
- Peel and devein your shrimp then give them a fine chop as well. They should look like minced shrimp. Add the shrimp into your mixing bowl.100 g shrimp
- Take your soaked shitake mushrooms and give them a fine dice. Add them to the bowl along with some of your mushroom stock.2 dried shitake mushrooms
- Season with white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon, and corn starch.1 tsp white pepper, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp mushroom stock, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder, 1 tsp corn starch
- Mix until combined then pick up the filling and slap it back into the bowl 15 times. This is called "dat" and it is what gives the meat a springy texture.
- Take your wonton wrappers and cut off the corners. This will remove excess that we don't need.square wonton wrappers
- Using a knife, place 1 tbsp of filling into the center of the wrapper, then continue pressing down while twisting the wrapper. As you turn, shape them into a circle and "siu mai" like shape.
- Top each siu mai with masago then steam for 10 minutes.masago
- You can also freeze these and steam at anytime for 15 minutes.
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some more dim sum recipes here:
