Siopao Asado (Filipino Steamed Buns)
This Siopao Pork Asado Recipe includes a Siopao dough recipe, Asado sauce, Asado Dry Rub marinade, and pork Asado filling Recipe. Marinated overnight and then slow-cooked in a flavourful Asado sauce.
Servings: 24 Small buns
Calories: 245kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot or use a crockpot (slow-cooker), or saucepot if braising the meat
- Stainless Steamer or just use the steamer in the Instant Pot or a bamboo steamer
- Saucepan
- Rolling Pin
- Squeeze Bottle optional
Ingredients
Pork Asado Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
Asado Dry Rub Marinade Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder or paste
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp anatto powder or paprika or both
- ½ tsp ginger powder or paste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ to ½ tsp five-spice or sub with cumin, optional spices
Asado Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar packed or to taste
- 3 cups water
- 1 small onion quartered
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 1- star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- Ground black pepper to taste
For the slurry
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
For the Siopao Dough Ingredients
Yeast mixture
- 1 cup water warm
- 1 cup milk warm
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
For the dough
- 5 cups all-purpose flour divided
- 2½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt optional, omit for a whiter dough
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup shortening
For steaming
- Water about 1 litre or more
- vinegar about 1 tbsp
Instructions
- Marinate the pork. Mix all the dry rub marinate and then coat the pork generously. Marinate overnight for the best flavour.
- Make the Asado Sauce. Add all the Asado sauce ingredients in a saucepan and mix until blended. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to infuse the aromatic. Use a strainer to remove the aromatic. Add the slurry and mix until the Asado sauce thickened. Cover and set aside.
- Slow-cook or braise the Pork Asado. In an Instant Pot, drizzle a tablespoon of canola oil. Sear the pork on each side for a few minutes until it has a brown crust. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and the juice from the marinade. Then add about half a cup of Asado sauce. Slow-cook for 6.5 hours or braise the marinated pork cubed with sauteed onion and garlic for 2 hours.
- Make the siopao dough. Mix the active dry yeast, warm water and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside for 5 minutes or until foamy. Mix half of the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl to ensure all the dry ingredients will blend well before adding to the wet ingredients.Add the milk and the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. With the dough attachment, knead and alternately add the shortening and the rest of the flour. Knead for about 8 minutes. Do a windowpane test to ensure the dough is kneaded enough and ready to rise. Grease the bowl with cooking oil and the dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for an hour or two until it doubles in size.
- Divide the siopao dough. Deflate the dough and divide it into 12 weighing about 105 grams to 110 grams each for large siopao. Or 24 weighing about 55 grams each dough. Form each dough into a ball.
- Filling the siopao dough. Flatten the dough and make the edges a bit thinner with the rolling pin. Add a scoop of the pork Asado in the middle of the dough. Make about 6 to 8 pleats, pinching the dough as you go while pushing the filling inside until gathered in the middle. Pinch hard to ensure it will not open when steaming.
- Place each filled siopao on a parchment paper. Cover and proof for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Steam the Siopao. Add water to the steamer and bring to a boil. Add vinegar for a whiter dough. However, it also depends on the flour you gonna use. Place the proof-filled dough in the steamer about 3 to 4 inches apart. Steam the large siopao for about 20 minutes and steam the small siopao for 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the Asado sauce to a squeeze bottle if available.
- Serve the siopao hot and serve with the Asado sauce in a squeeze bottle or soy dish.
Video
Notes
This Siopao Pork Asado recipe makes 12-Large siopao-weigh about 150 g/pc. (Cooked) Or makes 24 Small siopao-weigh about 75g/pc. (Cooked) Or makes 6 large siopao and 12-small siopao.
You can make it ahead a day or two the Asado Filling. Asado sauce can be reheated before serving with the siopao
If short of time, the 2 lbs. pork (cut cubed) sauteed in onion and garlic can be braised with 1/2 cup of Asado sauce plus 1/2 cup water for 2 hours or pressure cook for 35 minutes or until pulled fork tender. Simmer for sauce reduction then add and toss to the pork.
Siopao with Pork Asado filling freezes well. Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw and can reheat in a microwave. To reheat in the microwave, place the siopao on a plate and place a soy dish with a tablespoon of water beside the siopao. Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Or reheat in a steamer for about 5 minutes.
