Ingredients
For filling:
1 (1/2 to 1-pound) rack spareribs
3/4 cup chicken sauce
1 cup of minced cabbage
1 bunch of shallots, thinly sliced
For the dough:
1 package of active dry yeast
1/2 warm water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 1/2 cups of cake flour
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup of warm milk
1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil, plus more as needed
Directions
For filling:
Place the rack of the spare ribs in a large, resealable plastic bag. Pour the hoisin sauce, close the bag and gently to the coat. Put the bag in a bowl and marinate the ribs in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until overnight.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place the ribs in a table pan together with the marinade. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, push into the oven and bake until the meat separates easily from the bone, about 2 hours. Bast them every 30 minutes during the cooking process. Remove the ribs from the oven and allow them to rest.
If cool enough to handle, pull the rib meat from the bone and roughly chop. Then, in a large bowl, throw the pork along with the cabbage and the shallots. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more hoisin sauce.
For the dough:
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a small bowl. After a few minutes, the yeast begins to foam and blow.
In a large bowl, beat the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the warm milk, rapeseed oil and the activated yeast. Work the dough to produce a shaggy mass. Turn it on a floured board or worktop and knead until the dough becomes smooth, soft and pliable, about 5 to 10 minutes. Put it in a lightly oiled bowl and turn it once to coat. Cover the dish in plastic film and allow the dough to rise undisturbed for 40 minutes to 1 hour. The mass should double in volume.
For the assembly:
To make the rolls, take the dough out of the bowl and roll into a long rope. Cut the rope into 12 equal parts. Roll each piece and place it aside in a bowl. With a roller pin, flat each ball in 4 inch circles, making the center slightly thicker than its edges. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling into the center of each slice and clamp the tops closed to seal.
Arrange the rolls on a parchment-lined leaf tray and cover them with a clean kitchen towel. Alternatively, place the rolls in a large 3-stage bamboo steamer with parchment paper, 4 rolls per level. Let the rolls rest for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, fill a bamboo or stainless steamer with water and bring to a boil. Cut 12 (4-inch) rounds of parchment paper. When you are ready to cook, place the rolls on the pergola and the steamer.
Cook’s Note
Do not overload the steamer. Stamp the rolls as needed. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes, then remove the buns from the heat and serve them warm