To celebrate the release of Abominable on DVD and Blu-Ray this week Boo and I spent the weekend attempting to master making traditional steamed pork bao buns from scratch just like Nai Nai, the grandmother does in the film. I think it’s fair to say at this point that we’re in no way chefs but what we lack in culinary skill we make up for in enthusiasm and fun in the kitchen; It’s where we spend a lot of our time during the weekend, where we come together and as corny as it sounds cooking is a journey in our house – something we bond over, never perfect but (nearly) always edible and punctuated with a perfect playlist and bowl of snacks to help us on our way.
The Walton family we are not but cooking together is a great way to chat and not just about how many pleats each bun should have (26, if you’re wondering – which I’d like to point out, is where Boo’s little fingers came in handy!) With winter lingering and half-term next week a hands-on project for all the family and a film to match like Abominable is a big tick for one of the days.
Boo had seen Abominable in the cinema last year so it was really nice for her to have the edge when it came to explaining how to prepare the bao buns having watched Nai Nai in the film; allowing for the dough to prove the bao buns will take approximately over five hours to make – definitely a lazy weekend project. However, one that will pay off as they keep in the fridge for a couple of days making them our new go-to snack, a quick blitz in the microwave and they taste freshly steamed. I speak from real-time experience having just wandered to the kitchen for a bao bun fix while writing this – I can confirm I have returned to my desk with a happy stomach. There are literally thousands of different recipes when it comes to bar buns, from super simple to those that are steeped in tradition – This one created to celebrate the release of Abominable is a great start but don’t be scared to adapt/tweak – there are so many great recipes out there and it’s one of those dishes that really benefit from intuitive cooking.
Abominable Steamed Pork Bao Bun RecipeWhilst there aren’t any shortcuts to making the steamed bao buns, there’s something comfortingly ritualistic about rolling out a minimum of 16 buns by hand and filling them – it wasn’t long before we had fashioned an assembly line of sorts and talk soon turned to Everest, the Yeti and undeniable star of Abominable. Boo explained how friendship and trust were what she took from the film and if I let her have an extra bao bun she’d tell me the ending… I’ve never been prouder!
In the spirit of friendship and because I genuinely believe that every house would benefit from a bowl of bao buns in the fridge ready to be heated up here are my top tips for bao bun beginners – trust me, if we can manage it first time round anyone can:
-A regular metal steamer will do the job if you don’t have a bamboo one.
-Pre-cooking the meat is a great option, especially if you’re cooking with children
-Place the buns on individual (lightly oiled) greaseproof paper from the final proofing stage to steaming, trust me the extra time taken to cut the square will mean no sticking
-No matter how tempted you are to sneak a peak, don’t lift the lid during steaming or for five minutes afterwards, the buns will be absolutely fine trust me and even a quick lift of the lid will cause the buns to sag – and no one wants a saggy bun!
-Bao buns are perfect for using up leftovers; from Chinese style pork to chilli beef get inventive with your fillings
-Best of all bao buns are great for keeping in the fridge for a few days, and heat up in the microwave perfectly
Bao bun in hand it was finally time to watch Abominable – as you can see I didn’t get a look in – who am I to compete with a bite-sized snack, a family film and a fluffy yeti?
So do our bao buns bring the culinary bods to the yard? I’m fairly certain the bun houses of China Town have nothing to worry about but they’ve won a place on fridge shelf as it would appear according to Boo it’s our new weekly routine to make them – and who doesn’t love a delicious ball of steamed carbohydrate made with love.
Abominable is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Disclosure: This is a paid collaboration, a fee has been received.
