Nikuman: Steamed Pork Buns
Soft, pillowy Japanese steamed buns filled with savory ground pork and onions. A comforting hand-held snack or light meal that looks impressive but is easier to make than you'd think.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 12g
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons Baking powder
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Warm water
- 1 tablespoon Neutral oil
- ½ pound Ground pork
- ½ medium Yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger, finely minced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
Instructions
- 1
Combine 2 cups flour, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 0.25 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly mixed, about 1 minute.
- 2
Pour 0.75 cup warm water (about body temperature — it should not feel hot on your wrist) into the dry mixture and stir with the spoon until shaggy clumps form, about 2 minutes.
- 3
Turn the clumps out onto a clean, unfloured countertop and knead the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, and rotating it a quarter turn; repeat for 5 minutes until smooth and no longer sticky.
- 4
Rub 1 tablespoon oil all over the ball of dough, then place it in a clean bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- 5
Place the 0.5 pound ground pork in a medium bowl and add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1 minced garlic clove.
- 6
Peel the 0.5 medium onion and cut it in half from root to tip, then cut each half lengthwise into thin strips, then chop those strips crosswise into pieces about the size of a grain of rice; add to the pork mixture.
- 7
Stir the pork and onion mixture with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until the pork is evenly coated and no large lumps remain.
- 8
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces by pinching off a ball about the size of a walnut; roll each piece between your palms into a smooth ball.
- 9
Place one ball of dough on an unfloured countertop and, using your fingers, flatten it into a disk about 3 inches across and 0.25 inch thick, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges.
- 10
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the pork filling into the center of the dough disk, then fold the edges up and around the filling, pinching the top closed to seal — it should look like a pouch.
- 11
Flip the sealed bun seam-side down onto a small square of parchment paper about 4 inches across; repeat with the remaining 5 balls and filling portions.
- 12
Fill a bamboo steamer (or the insert of a multi-tier steamer basket) with water up to 1 inch below the steaming surface, then bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.
- 13
Carefully place the 6 parchment-lined buns into the steamer tier with at least 1 inch of space between each one (parchment paper is safe in steam and prevents sticking), cover with the steamer lid, and steam over boiling water for 12 minutes until the buns are puffy and the surface looks dull white, not shiny.
- 14
Carefully remove the steamer from the heat and lift the lid away from you (steam is very hot) to avoid burns, then remove the buns and let them cool on a plate for 2 minutes before serving.
Tools you’ll need
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Medium mixing bowl
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Kitchen towel
- Bamboo steamer with 1 tier (or multi-tier steamer basket insert)
- Pot large enough to fit steamer (about 10 inches across)
- Parchment paper squares, 4 inches across
- Plate
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