Xiao Long Bao (Siu Long Bao)

Make the Aspic

1. Simmer the broth. In a small saucepan, combine chicken broth, water, pork skin gelatin stock or extra broth, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cook 8 to 10 minutes to infuse.

   

2. Strain. Strain into a bowl or measuring cup and discard aromatics. Let cool 10 minutes.

3. Bloom gelatin. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water. Let sit 5 minutes.

4. Dissolve gelatin. While broth is still warm, whisk in bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved.

5. Chill until firm. Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate until solid, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Make the Dough

1. Mix. In a bowl, stir flour and salt. Pour in very hot water and stir with chopsticks or a fork until shaggy.

2. Add just enough room-temp water. Add room-temperature water a little at a time until the dough comes together. You want it soft but not sticky.

3. Knead and rest. Knead 6 to 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.

   

Make the Filling

1. Dice the aspic. Cut the chilled aspic into small cubes, about 1/4-inch. Keep cold.

2. Mix pork until tacky. In a bowl, combine ground pork, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix vigorously with a spoon or your hand for 2 to 3 minutes until it looks sticky and slightly paste-like.

3. Add cold water. Mix in the cold water until absorbed.

4. Fold in aspic. Gently fold in diced aspic. Refrigerate filling while you roll wrappers, 10 to 15 minutes.

   

Roll Wrappers and Pleat

1. Portion dough. Divide dough into 2 logs. Keep one covered. Roll the other into a long rope and cut into 12 equal pieces (about 22 to 25 g each if using a scale). Repeat with the second log for 24 total pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk.

2. Roll thin edges. Roll each disk into a 3 1/2 to 4-inch circle. Keep the center slightly thicker and the edges thinner. A helpful rhythm: roll from the edge toward the center, then rotate the wrapper a quarter turn and repeat. The goal is a sturdy middle that can hold the filling and a whisper-thin rim that pleats without fighting you.

   

3. Fill. Place about 20 to 22 g filling in the center (roughly 1 tablespoon). Do not overfill.

4. Pleat and seal. Hold the wrapper in your palm. Use your other hand to pleat around the edge, rotating as you go, aiming for 12 to 18 pleats. Pinch the top closed firmly.

5. Set on lined steamer. Place dumplings on parchment rounds with holes or lightly oiled parchment. Leave space between dumplings.

   

Steam

1. Set up the pot. Add enough water to a pot or wok to steam for 10 to 15 minutes without drying out, but keep the water level below the steamer base so it does not bubble up and sog the wrappers. Bring to a steady simmer, not a raging boil.

2. Steam. Set steamer over simmering water, cover, and steam 8 to 10 minutes for fresh dumplings (10 to 12 if larger). For frozen dumplings, steam 12 to 14 minutes.

3. Check doneness. The wrappers should look slightly translucent and the dumplings should be puffed. If you like a hard rule, ground pork should reach 160°F / 71°C.

4. Rest 1 minute. Turn off heat and let sit covered for 1 minute so wrappers set and release more easily.

   

Serve

1. Mix dipping sauce. Combine black vinegar with julienned ginger. Add chili crisp if you want a little chaos.

2. Eat carefully. Lift dumpling onto a spoon, nibble a tiny hole, sip broth, then dip and finish.

   

Matt’s tiny rescue trick

If a wrapper tears while pleating, do not panic. Patch it with a rice-grain sized piece of dough, dab with water, and pinch. It is dumpling first aid, and it works more often than it should.