Siu Mai — Classic Pork & Shrimp and Oxtail Versions

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Steps

1. 1
   Prepare the chicken feet gel: clean the chicken feet, cut off the nails, and place them in a pot covered with water plus 2–3 extra finger-widths of water. Simmer for 3 hours (or 1 hour in a pressure cooker at up to 130°C) until the feet fall apart and the liquid is collagen-rich. Strain and refrigerate the liquid until it sets into a firm gel. Reserve approximately 150g of gel for this recipe.

   Tip: The gel can be made days in advance and kept refrigerated. The shiitake soaking water is also flavorful — save it for other preparations.

   ~180 min
2. 2
   Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms: place them in a bowl with hot water and soak until fully softened. Remove the stems (which are tough and differ in texture from the cap — reserve for flavoring broths). Dice the caps into a small brunoise. Separately, dice the water chestnuts into a small brunoise.

   Tip: The shiitake stem should never be eaten in this preparation — it is fibrous and tough. The soaking liquid has a lot of flavor and can be used in other dishes.

   ~20 min
3. 3
   Grind the pork shoulder and shrimp separately through a medium die meat grinder. Before grinding, pass ice through the grinder to chill it thoroughly — the machine must be very cold when grinding proteins to stay safe and maintain quality. Keep the ground proteins very cold until use.

   Tip: If you want a coarser texture in the filling, use a grinder disc with larger holes. Pork shoulder (brazuelo — front leg) is recommended over pernil (back leg) as it is more tender and less expensive.

   ~15 min
4. 4
   In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water to create a slurry. In the main mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, ground shrimp, chicken feet gel, diced water chestnuts, diced shiitake, dim sum salt, and the cornstarch slurry. Transfer everything to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

   Tip: The cornstarch slurry acts as a binding agent that keeps the filling moist during steaming, preventing it from drying out even with extended cooking time.

   ~5 min
5. 5
   Beat the filling mixture at maximum speed in the stand mixer until the mixture turns pale/whitened. This process (called 'sub' in Chinese technique) activates the proteins, which bind together and create a cohesive, springy texture. This can also be done by throwing the mixture forcefully against a bowl or table repeatedly.

   Tip: The whitening is a visual cue that the proteins have been properly worked and the cornstarch is fully incorporated. A stand mixer saves time and fatigue compared to the traditional hand-beating method.

   ~5 min
6. 6
   Refrigerate the filling (or briefly place in the freezer) until it is very cold and slightly firmer — this makes it much easier to portion and shape. Using a scale, portion the filling into 30g balls.

   Tip: The siu mai can be assembled up to 1–2 days in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to steam.

   ~20 min
7. 7
   Assemble the siu mai: keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying. Place a wrapper in your hand (cupped), moisten the wrapper lightly with a wet spoon. Place a 30g ball of filling in the center. Using the back of a moistened spoon, push the filling down into the wrapper while wrapping the dough up around it, rotating and pressing to form a cylindrical cup shape open at the top. Flatten the bottom by pressing gently with two fingers to create a stable flat base.

   Tip: An alternative method: hold the wrapper, place the filling, wrap the dough around the filling with your hands, then use the spoon to press down and compact the top. Both techniques lead to the same result. If covering with a damp cloth is not enough, work in batches.

   ~30 min
8. 8
   For the oxtail version: braise oxtail in a pressure cooker (same technique as ossobuco) until completely tender and the meat pulls away from the bone. Shred the meat. Mix the shredded oxtail with the classic siu mai filling at a ratio of 40% oxtail to 60% classic filling. Add a tablespoon of oyster sauce. Mix well. Taste the mixture by cooking a small patty in a pan before assembling.

   Tip: Reserve the gelatinized braising liquid from the oxtail — it will be the base of the accompanying sauce. The oxtail version needs less steaming time (5 minutes) because 40% of the filling is already cooked.

   ~90 min
9. 9
   Prepare the oxtail sauce: in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, combine the gelatinized oxtail braising liquid with hoisin sauce and cooked ají amarillo paste. Stir well, bring to a brief boil until amalgamated and glossy. This sauce can be made several days ahead and refrigerated.

   Tip: The gelatinized braising liquid will look thick when cold but immediately turns liquid when it hits heat — this is the collagen dissolving. The hoisin will give it body and texture.

   ~5 min
10. 10
    Steam the siu mai: lightly oil the steamer tray. Arrange the siu mai with a little space between each piece as they will expand slightly during cooking. Steam the oxtail version (partially pre-cooked filling) for 5 minutes. Steam the classic version (fully raw filling) for 7 minutes. The siu mai are done when they have puffed up, are firm to the touch, and the wrapper is translucent.

    Tip: You can turn off the heat when there are about 20 seconds left — the residual steam inside the covered steamer is enough to finish cooking. Never use a microwave to cook or reheat siu mai; always use a steamer.

    ~7 min
11. 11
    Plate and serve: for the oxtail version, pool a mirror of the hoisin–ají amarillo sauce on the plate and arrange the siu mai on top. For the classic version, serve with hoisin sauce on the side and optionally a small dot of sriracha on top of each piece. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Cut one siu mai in half to show the colorful interior of shiitake and water chestnut pieces.

    Tip: Siu mai can be assembled 1–2 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. Steam them just before serving. The sauces also keep well for several days refrigerated.

    ~5 min

Nutrition (per serving)

Giacomo Bocchio

TE ENSEÑO PREPARAR SIU MAI PARA ESTE AÑO NUEVO ¦ GIACOMO BOCCHIO

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