How to make pan-fried juicy meat and spring onion buns, including the fabulous jellified stock that turns liquid when cooked
- The buns can be made with beef or lamb, and you can buy beef or chicken stock and jellify it yourself with this recipe
- The buns can be eaten fresh from the pan or reheated – mind the hot liquid stock when you bite into them
One of the cleverest contributions to cuisine – worthy of a Nobel Prize (if the Nobel committee gave prizes for food) – is the Chinese technique of jellifying a meat stock, then using the chilled, solid gel as part of a meaty filling for a bun or dumpling.
In the heat of the oven, steamer or skillet the jellied stock turns to liquid, so when you bite into the bun or dumpling, the filling is very juicy. You have to be careful when biting into it, or else the delicious juices will spurt out. I always warn people to bite a small hole in the dough, then carefully (because it’s hot!) suck out some of the juice.
Pan-fried juicy meat buns
Traditionally, the meat stock would have been simmered with pig skin or feet, or another ingredient that contains a lot of gelatin. Today, it’s more convenient to use powdered gelatin. While I used to insist on using home-made stock, I now usually buy commercial broth.
For these meat buns, I prefer shelf-stable Korean beef stock/broth, which is sold in resealable pouches. You can also use canned broth, although sometimes, the flavour of the vegetables (such as celery or carrot) is too strong.
The salt level of commercial broth varies from brand to brand, so if the one you use is very salty, use slightly less salt in this recipe. If you can’t find a good commercial beef stock, use chicken stock.
I usually make this recipe with beef, but lamb is good, too. If possible, buy medium-ground minced beef or lamb. Meat that’s ground too finely can be pasty, and medium-ground beef or lamb has a better texture. The meat filling has to be very cold before it is wrapped in the dough so that the jellied stock will remain firm.
For the jellied stock:
