Ostrich Meat Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Soup Dumplings)
These juicy xiaolong-style soup dumplings get their appeal from the filling: ostrich meat. If you've seen the earlier recipe for ostrich meat stir-fried with green peppers, this is a follow-up using the same batch — ostrich my nephew picked up from a farm, with the rest frozen for later. Ostrich meat is still a relative rarity at the market, and rightly so: it is tender, succulent, and full of natural juices, with a clean flavor and no gamey taste. It is also high in protein yet low in fat, cholesterol, and calories, so you can enjoy it without guilt. Compared with common meats, it contains higher levels of iron, calcium, zinc, and selenium, making it highly nutritious and easy to digest — a good option for adding calcium to the diets of older adults and children.
Ingredients
bread flour
400g
ostrich meat
400g
cooking oil
to taste
salt
to taste
five-spice powder
to taste
white pepper powder
to taste
scallion
1
ginger
1
granulated sugar
半spoonful
light soy sauce
2少
oyster sauce
to taste
cooking wine
a pinch
stock
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Mix the bread flour with an appropriate amount of warm water, pour it into a bread machine to knead the dough. Once the dough is kneaded, take it out, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
2
Step 2
Take the frozen ostrich meat out to thaw, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes, then rinse it thoroughly repeatedly after the blood water is drained out.
3
Step 3
Mince the ostrich meat until it becomes sticky, which is the ideal texture. Peel, wash, and mince the scallions and ginger (If you don't have ostrich meat, you can substitute it with beef, lamb, or pork, all of which taste great.
4
Step 4
Prepare the filling: Add an appropriate amount of minced scallion, minced ginger, granulated sugar, white pepper powder, five-spice powder, light soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, and salt to the minced ostrich meat, then stir thoroughly in one direction until well combined. Next, add the stock in multiple batches, and continue stirring in one direction until the filling becomes elastic and the stock is fully absorbed into the meat, so the filling soaks up all the broth. I used a little over one bowl of stock for this amount of filling. Finally, add an appropriate amount of cooking oil (you can also add sesame oil) and continue stirring in one direction until the filling is elastic. The purpose of adding oil at the end is to lock in the broth absorbed by the filling. Then chill the filling in the refrigerator; it is best when it solidifies, as it is easier to wrap.
5
Step 5
Repeat the resting and kneading process 3 to 4 times, until the dough is very smooth and has developed sufficient gluten. Then roll the dough into a long log, cut it into small dough portions of your preferred size, slightly larger than the portions you would use for regular dumplings.
6
Step 6
Take one small dough portion, roll it into a wrapper that is slightly thinner than a regular dumpling wrapper. Add the meat filling, and pleat the edges as much as possible.
7
Step 7
Let all the wrapped buns rest for 5 minutes after shaping.
8
Step 8
Place the buns in the steamer once steam is rising, and steam for 8 minutes after the water reaches a rolling boil.
9
Step 9
The freshly steamed buns look very appetizing the moment you open the steamer lid.
10
Step 10
Take the buns out of the steamer, arrange them on a plate, and it is best to eat them while they are still hot.
11
Step 11
Each bun is packed with juicy meat and broth, so it's no wonder kids love them. The wrapper can be made even thinner next time.
