Chinese Cuisine
Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)
Traditional Chinese soup dumplings filled with seasoned pork and rich pork aspic made from pig skin. When steamed, the gelatinized broth melts into a flavorful soup inside each delicate dumpling wrapper.
- Total
- Several Hours
Quick Recipe Summary
- Cuisine
- Chinese
- Category
- Chinese Cuisine
- Method
- Steaming
- Total Time
- Several Hours
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Main Ingredient
- Ground Pork Shoulder
About This Recipe
Traditional Chinese soup dumplings filled with seasoned pork and rich pork aspic made from pig skin. When steamed, the gelatinized broth melts into a flavorful soup inside each delicate dumpling wrapper.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Written with clear home-cooking steps so the process is easier to follow from start to finish.
- Breaks the method into manageable steps instead of assuming you already know the technique.
- Uses gentle steaming, which makes the cooking process easier to control.
- Shows a practical way to cook pork with clear preparation and cooking cues.
- Gives the dish a clear savory flavor profile without making the method feel complicated.
Ingredients
- 450 g Ground Pork Shoulder
- 450 g Dumpling Wrappers
- 450 g Pig Skin
- as needed Green Onions
- as needed Fresh Ginger
- as needed Shaoxing Rice Wine
- to taste Sugar
- to taste Light Soy Sauce
- to taste White Pepper
- as needed Cornstarch
- for serving Black Vinegar
Ingredient Notes
These notes explain the role of the main ingredients so the recipe is easier to adjust.
Ground Pork Shoulder
Pork brings savory depth and works well with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and vegetables.
Dumpling Wrappers
This ingredient helps define the flavor, texture, or structure of the dish.
Pig Skin
This ingredient helps define the flavor, texture, or structure of the dish.
Green Onions
Scallions add freshness and are useful both as an aromatic base and as a finishing flavor.
Ingredients & Techniques Used in This Recipe
These guides explain the key sauces, ingredients, and cooking techniques used in this recipe, so you can understand the dish instead of only following steps.
Sauce
Shaoxing Wine
Chinese cooking wine used in marinades, stir-fries, braises, and sauces.
Sauce
Light Soy Sauce
The everyday soy sauce for salt, umami, marinades, and stir-fry seasoning.
Sauce
Black Vinegar
A deep Chinese vinegar for dipping sauces, noodles, braises, and sour-spicy dishes.
Technique
Velveting
A Chinese technique for keeping sliced meat, chicken, shrimp, and beef tender.
Technique
How to Steam Chinese Food
Understand Chinese steaming for fish, eggs, tofu, buns, and vegetables.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Clean the pig skin thoroughly and place it in a pot of water. Bring to a boil.
Step 2
Boil for about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Remove the pig skin, scrape away excess fat, remove any remaining hairs, and clean thoroughly.
Step 4
Slice the pig skin into thin strips.
Step 5
Place the pig skin in a pressure cooker with ginger, green onions, and rice wine. Pressure cook for 20 minutes.
Step 6
Remove and discard the ginger and green onions.
Step 7
Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then transfer the pig skin and broth to a blender.
Step 8
Blend until completely smooth.
Step 9
Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan.
Step 10
Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
Step 11
Bring to a boil and skim off any foam.
Step 12
Add green onion knots and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Step 13
Pour into a container, cool completely, and refrigerate until firm and gelatinous.
Step 14
Blend fresh ginger and green onions with a little water.
Step 15
Strain to obtain ginger-scallion juice.
Step 16
Reserve the strained juice for seasoning the filling.
Step 17
Mix the ground pork with ginger-scallion juice, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, and white pepper.
Step 18
Stir vigorously in one direction until the filling becomes sticky and cohesive.
Step 19
Dice the chilled pork aspic and fold it into the seasoned pork filling.
Step 20
Roll the dumpling wrappers thinner around the edges and place filling in the center.
Step 21
Pleat and seal the dumplings, aiming for 14 or more folds.
Step 22
Steam over rapidly boiling water for about 5 minutes until cooked through. Serve immediately with black vinegar and ginger.
Cooking Tips
- The key to juicy soup dumplings is a well-balanced pork aspic that is firm enough to set but soft enough to melt during steaming. Avoid making the aspic overly thick. Thin wrapper edges create a more delicate texture and allow for easier pleating. Steam over strong heat and avoid overcooking, which can cause the wrappers to break and leak the soup.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it with steamed rice when you want a simple Chinese home-cooked meal.
- Pair it with a quick vegetable stir-fry or a simple pork, chicken, or tofu dish.
- If noodles or rice are included, it can work as a full meal on its own.
Recipe Card
Traditional Chinese soup dumplings filled with seasoned pork and rich pork aspic made from pig skin. When steamed, the gelatinized broth melts into a flavorful soup inside each delicate dumpling wrapper.
Ingredients
- 450 g Ground Pork Shoulder
- 450 g Dumpling Wrappers
- 450 g Pig Skin
- as needed Green Onions
- as needed Fresh Ginger
- as needed Shaoxing Rice Wine
- to taste Sugar
- to taste Light Soy Sauce
- to taste White Pepper
- as needed Cornstarch
- for serving Black Vinegar
Method
- Clean the pig skin thoroughly and place it in a pot of water. Bring to a boil.
- Boil for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pig skin, scrape away excess fat, remove any remaining hairs, and clean thoroughly.
- Slice the pig skin into thin strips.
- Place the pig skin in a pressure cooker with ginger, green onions, and rice wine. Pressure cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove and discard the ginger and green onions.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then transfer the pig skin and broth to a blender.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture into a saucepan.
- Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil and skim off any foam.
- Add green onion knots and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- Pour into a container, cool completely, and refrigerate until firm and gelatinous.
- Blend fresh ginger and green onions with a little water.
- Strain to obtain ginger-scallion juice.
- Reserve the strained juice for seasoning the filling.
- Mix the ground pork with ginger-scallion juice, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, and white pepper.
- Stir vigorously in one direction until the filling becomes sticky and cohesive.
- Dice the chilled pork aspic and fold it into the seasoned pork filling.
- Roll the dumpling wrappers thinner around the edges and place filling in the center.
- Pleat and seal the dumplings, aiming for 14 or more folds.
- Steam over rapidly boiling water for about 5 minutes until cooked through. Serve immediately with black vinegar and ginger.
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