Dim Sum

Classic Dim Sum Trio: Har Gow, Siu Mai & Char Siu Bao

A three-part introduction to Cantonese dim sum — translucent shrimp dumplings, open-topped pork dumplings, and pillowy barbecue pork buns — meant to be shared steamer by steamer with pot after pot of hot tea (yum cha).

Prep

90 min

Cook

25 min

Total

115 min

Serves

6 (makes 12 har gow, 12 siu mai, 8 bao)

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, reserve 100 g for siu mai filling; keep very cold
• •200 g (7 oz) ground pork (about 20% fat)
• •300 g (10½ oz) char siu pork (Chinese barbecue pork), diced, store-bought is fine, dice finely
• •150 g (5¼ oz) wheat starch (tang mein fun), essential for har gow wrappers; do not substitute cornstarch
• •100 g (3½ oz) tapioca starch, for har gow wrappers
• •300 g (10½ oz) bao flour (low-protein, ~8–10%), or cake flour; not bread flour
• •20 g (¾ oz) caster sugar, split between doughs
• •5 g (1 tsp) instant yeast, for bao
• •4 g (¾ tsp) baking powder, for bao
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) warm water (~38 °C / 100 °F), for bao dough
• •60 ml (¼ cup) boiling water, for har gow dough
• •60 ml (¼ cup) cold water, for har gow dough
• •1 tbsp lard or neutral oil, plus extra for brushing
• •2 tbsp oyster sauce, for siu mai seasoning
• •1 tbsp soy sauce, for siu mai seasoning
• •1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• •1 tsp white pepper, ground
• •2 tbsp cornstarch, for siu mai slurry
• •2 tbsp sugar, for char siu bao filling
• •1 tbsp oyster sauce, for char siu bao filling
• •1 tsp soy sauce, for char siu bao filling
• •1 tsp dark soy sauce, for colour, optional
• •1 tsp cornstarch slurry, 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water, for bao filling
• •1 g (pinch) salt
• •12 whole small square wonton wrappers, for siu mai; yellow egg wrappers are most authentic
• •1 bunch boiling water for steaming
• •1 to serve Chinese tea (pu'er, jasmine, or chrysanthemum), yumul — the literal meaning of yum cha

Steps

1. 1 Make the har gow dough: whisk 150 g wheat starch, 100 g tapioca starch, a pinch of salt and 20 g sugar. Pour in 60 ml boiling water, stir with chopsticks, then add 60 ml cold water and 1 tbsp lard. Knead while warm until smooth and pliable; cover with a damp towel and rest 20 minutes.
2. 2 Make the har gow filling: chop 200 g cold shrimp into a coarse paste (do not over-process; you want some texture). Season with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp sesame oil, a pinch of white pepper and 1 tbsp cornstarch. Stir in one direction until the mixture is bouncy and holds together; chill 20 minutes.
3. 3 Roll the har gow dough into a 25 cm log, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each into a thin disc (~8 cm), keeping the edges slightly thinner than the centre. Place 1 tsp filling in the middle, pleat one edge into 5–6 folds and pleat the opposite edge to meet, pressing the seam closed and trimming the tail flush.
4. 4 Make the siu mai filling: combine 200 g pork, 100 g finely chopped shrimp, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp white pepper, 2 tbsp cornstarch and 60 ml cold water. Stir vigorously in one direction until the mixture is very sticky. Chill 20 minutes.
5. 5 Assemble siu mai: lay a wonton wrapper in a cupped hand, place 1 heaped tbsp filling in the centre, gather the sides up around the filling and press to form a cylinder with an open top. Tap the dumpling flat on the counter so it stands. The filling should peek out of the top (traditionally crowned with a single pea or dot of chili).
6. 6 Make the char siu bao dough: in a stand mixer, combine 300 g bao flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 5 g yeast and 4 g baking powder. Add 100 ml warm water and 1 tbsp lard and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and soft. Cover and proof in a warm place 45–60 minutes, until about 1.5× volume. Knock back and re-knead briefly.
7. 7 Make the char siu filling: heat 1 tsp oil in a wok, add 300 g diced char siu, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce and 2 tbsp water. Simmer 2 minutes, then stir in 1 tsp cornstarch slurry and cook until a thick, glossy glaze coats the pork. Cool completely.
8. 8 Assemble the bao: divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (~50 g each). Flatten each into a 10 cm disc, edges thinner than the centre. Place 1 generous tbsp filling, pleat the edges into 12–14 folds around the filling, pinch the seam tightly closed, then twist and seal. Place seam-side down on small squares of parchment.
9. 9 Steam the bao first: arrange in a lined bamboo steamer with at least 3 cm between buns. Steam over rapidly boiling water, 8–10 minutes, until puffed, smooth and the internal temperature reaches at least 96 °C / 205 °F. Keep warm under a clean towel.
10. 10 Steam the har gow: line a steamer with parchment poked with holes or brushed with oil. Steam over rapid boil 4–5 minutes, until the wrappers turn fully translucent and the shrimp is just cooked (internal temperature 63 °C / 145 °F; opaque pink). Rest 2 minutes before lifting off — they tear when hot.
11. 11 Steam the siu mai: steam 6–7 minutes over rapid boil, until the pork reaches 71 °C / 160 °F and the surface is glossy. If desired, serve with a dip of soy sauce and a few drops of chili oil.
12. 12 Serve everything immediately, in batches, with a pot of hot Chinese tea. Pour for elders and companions first — that is the etiquette of yum cha. Do not eat more than you order from a passing cart in a restaurant, but at home, simply re-steam any leftovers directly from cold for 4–5 minutes.
13. 13 Food safety note on shrimp: this recipe cooks the shrimp fully, so no parasite-control freezing is required. If you ever serve shrimp or other seafood raw or lightly cured in dim sum-style preparations, the FDA requires freezing to −20 °C / −4 °F for 7 days (or −35 °C / −31 °F for 15 hours) to destroy parasites — do not skip this step.