Fresh Meat Xiao Long Bao (Shaomai)

Fresh Meat Xiao Long Bao (Shaomai)

Fresh Meat Xiao Long Bao (Shaomai) is a home-style staple dish at difficulty 4/5 (Advanced), about 1485 kcal. This is an exquisite Jiangnan-style snack. Ingredients and step-by-step instructions are below, with notes for home cooking.

Difficulty

4 / 5

★★★★☆

Advanced
Estimated Calories

1485 kcal

Ingredients

  • Shaomai skins (skewer: oiled bamboo mats, straw mats, lotus leaves, or perforated silicone paper)
  • Minced pork (70% lean, 30% fat. Alternatively, for a low-fat version, use pork tenderloin or pork foreleg)
  • Fresh ginger, minced
  • Green onions (scallions, green parts only)
  • Light soy sauce
  • Cooking wine
  • Salt
  • Sugar (optional)
  • White pepper (optional)
  • Sesame oil
  • Chicken stock or stock cubes
  • Bamboo shoots (optional)
  • Jelly cubes / Pig gelatin (optional but recommended)
  • Wood ear mushrooms (dried wood ear mushrooms rehydrated, optional)
  • Shrimp meat (optional)
  • Pork lard (or chicken fat) (for low-fat version)
  • Composite food thickener (κ-Carrageenan 45%, Guar gum 35%, Potassium chloride 20%) (or cornstarch) (for low-fat version)

Steps

  1. (Low-fat version) Take 10 mL cold water, add the composite food thickener, mix into a paste.
  2. (Low-fat version) Add 25 mL boiling water, stir until half-transparent gel forms.
  3. (Low-fat version) After cooling, mix in 280 g lean minced meat + 15 g melted pork (or chicken) fat.
  4. Mix the minced pork with ginger and chopped green onions. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Stir in one direction until the paste becomes clipped/sticky.
  5. If using stock cubes, take a cube and mix with 15 mL hot water until fully dispersed into an emulsion. Then add 15 mL room temperature water.
  6. Slowly add water or chicken stock while stirring until the filling absorbs the liquid and becomes sticky. Add 5 mL more water if the mixture is too thick.
  7. Add optional ingredients (bamboo shoots, jelly cubes, mushrooms). Finally, drizzle in sesame oil and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
  8. Place about 20-25 g of filling onto a sheet of shaomai skin (don't overdo it or it won't wrap).
  9. Use your thumb and fingers to gently gather the edges of the skin together to form a 'bottle' shape, leaving the top open.
  10. Gently press down the bottom with your finger to ensure it can stand upright.
  11. If adding shrimp, place one shrimp on top.
  12. Repeat the shaomai wrapping process until all filling is used.
  13. Arrange in the bamboo steamer, leaving space between them to prevent sticking.
  14. Steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes.

Notes

This is an exquisite Jiangnan-style snack. It features thin, translucent skins and a filling rich in juices. The meat aroma, freshness of bamboo shoots, and the soup from melting jelly intermingle when bitten—savory yet sweet, with a soft and bouncy texture. Pork and shrimp provide high-quality protein, while bamboo shoots and mushrooms add dietary fiber and essential trace elements. The low-fat version further reduces saturated fats. While the wrapping technique requires some patience, the steps are clear enough that beginners can master it with practice. The process takes about an hour from mixing to serving.

Estimated Difficulty: ★★★★
Estimated Calories: 1485 kcal

Calculations:
Before making, decide how many portions. One portion serves 2-3 people.

Per Portion:

- Shaomai skins 240-465 g (approx 24-31 sheets, it is recommended to use 30 sheets weighing 10g each)
- Minced pork 300 g (280 g pork tenderloin or foreleg for low-fat version)
- Ginger, minced 5-10 g
- Green onions, chopped 10-20 g
- Light soy sauce 15 mL
- Cooking wine 10 mL
- Salt 3-5 g (reduce 3 g if using stock cubes)
- Sugar 2-3 g
- White pepper 2 g
- Sesame oil 5 mL
- Chicken stock 30 mL
- Stock cube 6 g (recommended Nestle Knorr brand, approx 1/8 cube)
- Bamboo shoots 50 g
- Jelly cubes 100 g
- Mushrooms 75 g (or 30 g dried wood ear mushrooms rehydrated)
- Shrimp 100-200 g (approx 20-25 shrimp)
- Composite food thickener 1.2 g (or cornstarch 2 g)
- Pork lard (or chicken fat) 15 g

- The fat in Shaomai primarily comes from fatback. In the low-fat version, fatback is removed, so a small amount of animal fat is used to compensate for texture.
- If you don't have shaomai skins, you can use wonton skins, or roll dumpling skins to make them thinner.
- The diameter of a skin is 8-10 cm. Each skin weighs about 10-15g. The ratio of skin to filling should be controlled at 1:2 - 1:2.5.
- When using a meat grinder, select the medium setting. This keeps the texture from being too fine (like a paste) or too chunky, ensuring a Q-bouncy texture.
- Using 5 g ginger and 10 g green onions won't mask the fresh meat taste; using 10 g ginger and 20 g green onions makes it taste more like dumpling filling.
- When wrapping shaomai, rub a little oil on your thumb and finger to prevent sticking.
- Remember to put the steamer in only after the water has boiled to prevent the skin from collapsing.
- Make-ahead: Store frozen at -18 ℃. Frozen shaomai need 12-15 minutes to steam.
- Serve with rose rice vinegar. It is also delicious with Tongxiang hot sauce, chili oil, soy sauce, or freshly cut ginger.

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