MAMALOLI

Delicious and Easy Asian Recipes

Nikuman – Beef Buns

Nikuman – Beef Buns

Nikuman – Beef Buns

After writing about going to Peking Dumpling, I got a request for a steamed buns recipe. Instead of driving through massive traffic to satisfy my steamed bun craving, it was about time I made these from home. I made these Steamed Beef Buns with ground beef, but you can substitue ground pork or ground chicken to make pork buns/chicken buns.

For this Beef Buns Recipe, you’ll need a food steamer. You can use a Saucepot Steamer or Bamboo Steamer You’ll have to also work with yeast dough, so this recipe will take about 2 1/2 hours to make. I like to use SAF Instant Yeast since there is no proofing required. It works faster and better than any other yeast I’ve used.

Hope you like this beef buns recipe. Enjoy!

nikuman-22

Cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes

This recipe makes 6 Beef Buns

Ingredients

For the bun:

  • 200 grams All purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cup)
  • 5 grams Instant Yeast (about 1 1/3 teaspoon)
  • 10 grams sugar (about 2 teaspoon)
  • 3 grams baking powder (about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 3 grams salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 120 grams water (about 2/3 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the filling:

  • 200 grams ground beef
  • 100 grams minced cabbage (about 1 1/2 cup)
  • 4 stalks green onion minced (about 100 grams )
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger root
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sake (rice wine)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

For the decoration:

  • Extra dough (1/2 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon flour)
  • Red food coloring (tiny bit)
  • Black sesame seeds

Things You’ll Need

Cooking Instructions

  1. Combine the dry ingredients for the bun. When combined, add water and knead until a messy dough is formed. Add oil and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes. Cover with a wet kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

  2. For the pig ears and nose, mix a tiny bit of red food coloring with 1/2 tablespoon water and mix with a generous tablespoon of flour. Form a dough, then cover with wrap and refrigerate until needed.
  3. Grate the ginger. Mince the garlic, green onion, and cabbage. Combine the ginger and minced ingredients with the other filling ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. When the dough has doubled in size, deflate and split into 6 equal parts about 55 grams each. Roll each piece into a ball and let it rise for 10 minutes.
  5. Flatten each ball and fill with a generous amount of filling. Seal and put a piece of parchment paper or muffin liner under each piece and let the buns rise again for 15 to 20 minutes.

  6. If making ears and nose, cut small pieces of the pink dough and roll and shape. For the nose, use chopsticks to make 2 holes. When the buns are done rising, you can stick on the nose and ears. Use black sesame seeds for the eyes. If they don’t stick on their own, you can use a little bit of water.
  7. Steam the buns for 20 minutes and then enjoy!