Char siu bao

Method

1. 1 Marinate the pork with dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and brown sugar, then grill at 200 degrees for 25 minutes, brushing with honey twice.
2. 2 Cut the meat into small cubes, mix with the concentrated barbecue sauce and cornstarch dissolved in water, then cook for 3 minutes until thickened and let cool.
3. 3 Knead the flour with yeast, milk, eggs, and sugar for 12 minutes, then let it rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
4. 4 Wrap the filling, place the folded end down, let it sit for another 30 minutes, then brush with egg wash.
5. 5 Bake at 190 degrees for 16 minutes and brush with honey immediately after taking it out of the oven — the baked version has a glossy brown crust, quite different from the steamed version which has a white crust with three cracks.

With an appliance

• Air fryer 1 hr 30 min

  Replace step 5: spray a thin layer of oil onto the sides of the mold, use a 205-degree hot air oven for 10 minutes, rotating the tray at minute 5. The strong airflow shortens the time by about one-third compared to a conventional oven and browns the surface faster.