Char sui bao

[nicklord1]

Hi i have a few questions about this dish, say i make 1lb of bq pork on tuesday then put it in the fridge and make the buns the following day can you freeze the buns until you need and when they they are defrosted resteam them. Is it safe to do this with pork as effectively you would have cooked it 3 times , 1st to make the bbq pork , then to steam initally , then steamed again after defrosted , should i instead freeze the buns straight after they are made.

[Chopstix]

We often buy dozens of freshly steamed char siu bao from a great source (being out of the way in Chinatown) and freeze them. When we want them, we just pull them out from the freezer, let them thaw overnight in the fridge, and steam. No problem. (If you keep the char siu bao in the fridge a few days instead of freezing them, the meat develops an off flavor.)

I would suggest you steam them initially before freezing the batch.

[nicklord1]

How would you heat them up after you thaw them

[Chopstix]

Steaming is the answer. I use the rice cooker. Or you can use other types of equipment to steam. Good luck! Don't oversteam or the exterior of your buns will turn brownish.

[97guns]

they freeze well

[Claire]

Reading this brought back happy memories. When we lived in Hawaii, someone at work would regularly make a run for lunch for manapua (the local dialect for these buns) and we would all chow down. I can't imagine trying to make them myself!