2 May 2020
Last updated by Wes Radez on | 9
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This recipe is part of our collection of Steamed Dim Sum Dishes. Sign up for our newsletter to get recipes, dining tips and restaurant reviews throughout the year!
Traditional siu mai are filled exclusively with chopped pork, though some restaurants will include shrimp in the filling. Siu mai are wrapped in a fresh pasta skin that is left open, so that the filling peeks out of the top of the dumpling when served at the table.
Pork siu mai are one of the “Guangdong Big Three,” along with shrimp dumplings and steamed pork buns, a true staple of the original Cantonese dim sum tradition. The quality of a restaurant’s siu mai says a lot about how seriously it takes its dim sum.
Whether at the restaurant or at home, making great siu mai is all about the filling, which should retain a bright, fresh crunch out of the steamer. Start with the recipe below and then tweak to suit your own taste.
Can you share any expert tips from your experience making pork siu mai? Want to ask a question before you try making it yourself? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!
Pork Siu Mai Recipe
Makes: 30 | Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Adapted From: The Food of China: A Journey for Food Lovers
Ingredients
6 ounces shrimp
1/2 cup peeled water chestnuts
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch
30 square or round egg dumpling wrappers
Directions
1. Peel and devein the shrimp, squeeze out as much moisture as possible and then roughly chop.
2. Blanch the water chestnuts for 1 minute, drop into cold water and then roughly chop.
3. Combine the shrimp, water chestnuts and the remaining filling ingredients (everything except the wrappers) in a large bowl and stir until well-combined.
4. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Form a circle with your thumb and forefinger and shape the dumpling, so that it forms a fat cylinder with an open top. Pat the top and bottom of the dumpling to create flat surfaces on either end.
5. Steam the dumplings standing up in bamboo steamers on top of oiled paper punched with holes for 15 minutes. Serve with soy sauce or chili sauce for dipping.
Learn more about Pork Siu Mai from these Experts
Watch Cooking Tips TV rather adoringly make Pork Siu Mai from their Hong Kong studio (VIDEO)
Thirsty for Tea makes Pork Siu Mai
The Dumpling Sisters make Pork Siu Mai in their home kitchen
HT: Photo by young via Wikimedia Commons.
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About The Author
Hi! I’m Wes, a dim sum lover in Oakland, California. I launched Dim Sum Central as a hobby and I’ve loved watching it grow to become an online home for people around the world who are passionate about eating and making dim sum! Get started »
9 Responses
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boo
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You don’t include the pork in the recipe.
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Dim Sum Central
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Hi Boo, thanks for your note. If you’ll please look in the recipe ingredients, you’ll find the amount noted: 1lb of ground pork! ~Wes
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Kathleen QuongVermeire
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Can i use rice paper as the wrapper.
I have celic and cannot tolerant wheat-
Dim Sum Central
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I’m not sure, Kathleen! Give it a try and let us know! ~Wes
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Inez
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I can’t eat shrimp. Can I replace the shrimp with 6 oz of more pork
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Wes Radez
|Reply
Hi Inez, yes, you can do that. In fact, all-pork variations of pork sui mai are quite common. The difference you may notice is that the final product is just very…dense and meaty. You may want to break up the consistency of the filling with Chinese mushrooms or water chestnuts. ~Wes
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Rosalina Fletcher
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Hi Wes. I can’t shrimp. Can I replace it with fish instead.
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Wes Radez
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That should work, Rosalina. Use a firm fish that will hold together well. ~Wes
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Camilla
|Reply
Great recipe. I’ve been using it for almost a year!
