Xiaolongbao
小笼包 · soup dumplings
Delicate Jiangnan dumplings filled with meat and hot broth created by melted aspic. The name means "small basket bun," referring to the bamboo steamers in which they are cooked and served.
About this dish
Xiaolongbao belongs to the Jiangnan soup-dumpling tradition, particularly associated with Shanghai and its surrounding region. Its defining broth comes from aspic that melts in the steamer; eating it carefully from a spoon is part of the experience.
Recipe
Pork xiaolongbao with homemade aspic
Aspic
- 200 g clean pork skin, in strips
- 400 g pork neck bones
- 900 ml water
- 2 ginger slices
- 1 scallion
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
Dough
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 140 ml warm water
- 15 g flour for dusting
Filling
- 250 g ground pork
- 250 g set aspic, finely diced
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Serve
- 3 tbsp black vinegar
- 10 g ginger, finely shredded
- 1
Aspic: 200 g clean pork skin, in strips; 400 g pork neck bones; 900 ml water; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Cover skin and bones with extra water, boil briefly, drain and rinse. Simmer with the measured water and aspic aromatics, covered, for 2 hours. Strain; refrigerate promptly in a shallow container overnight until firm. Weigh 250 g for filling; reserve extra. Strain out bones and skin and chill promptly in a shallow dish. The stock must set firmly enough to dice; if still liquid, reduce and chill again.
- 2
Dough: 250 g all-purpose flour; 140 ml warm water. Knead flour and warm water until smooth, 10-15 minutes; cover and rest 45 minutes. Bring flour and water together gradually, knead out dry patches and cover tightly.
- 3
Filling: 250 g ground pork; 250 g set aspic, finely diced; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Mix pork with seasonings until sticky, then fold in diced aspic. Keep cold. Divide dough into 24 and roll into thin 9 cm circles. Fold in aspic while cold and keep unused filling refrigerated. Cover unused dough.
- 4
Add one twenty-fourth of the filling (about 20-25 g) to each; gather closely spaced pleats around it and seal the top securely. Place on perforated parchment in a steamer. Thin the rims more than the bases, seal every pleat and repair any hole: the aspic melts into soup.
- 5
Serve: 3 tbsp black vinegar; 10 g ginger, finely shredded. Steam over boiling water for 8-10 minutes, checking a sample reaches 71°C/160°F. Serve immediately with vinegar and ginger. Start timing at steady steam. Lift without tearing the base and serve on a spoon; bite a small vent first and sip the very hot soup carefully.
Note
Aspic must set before assembly; do not substitute liquid stock. Keep filling cold so the gelatin remains solid. Eat over a spoon and open carefully: the soup is hot. Dusting flour or starch is separate from the mixed dough; use only what is needed on the work surface.