Forbidden City Chinese Meat Pies with Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter

Today we are all about the meat pies. Not your traditional pie per se, but more like Chinese potstickers on steroids. These green onion and pork filled pies are off the hook, crazy delicious. These are my Forbidden City Chinese Meat Pies with Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter!

I first saw a photo of these and had to check them out. I mean look at these? Mouth watering, drool worthy, right?

The name for these captivated me as did the story behind it, but I’ll let you read about that later – Jaded Door Nail Meat Pies. Now mine here are a little different, in the fact they aren’t as compact and tall as the ones I saw as inspiration for this post. But it’s all about the flavor and these are packed with it from pork, green onion, sesame oil and the like. Then they get emulsified with water and end up being the most tender, moist creations. Using homemade dough that is super elastic, but easy to make and then pan seared and steamed.

The kicker here is the Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter. Can I just say it’s outrageous? I added a few things to the original recipe and I will say this, holy smokes it’s a keeper. A few shakes of some red pepper flakes that I pulverized in my spice grinder and I served it up to applause. Trust.

So bust out the mixer and dough hook, get adventurous and creative and rest assured you will be impressed. Come on, you can do this!

You can make the dough using a hand mixer with dough hook, or in a stand-mixer with dough-hook. Knead the bread flour, 1 cup of warm water and kosher salt on low speed for 3 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides if needed, until incorporated. This stuff gets sticky!

Switch to high speed and knead for another 8 minutes until smooth and very elastic. Be careful if using a stand mixer. I took my eyes off it for a few seconds and that bugger was bouncing on my countertop, caught it in time before the entire thing jumped ship and was  headed to the floor tiles. No lie, the dough was spinning and thumping away like mad at high!

Now add 1 extra tablespoon of water and continue to knead on high for another 5 minutes, until the dough is shiny and elastic. Adding the water in 2 stages increases the water-absorbency of the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic-wrap and allow to rest for 2 hours. See how stretchy and elastic the dough becomes?

In a bowl, mix ground pork, diced scallions, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, ground white pepper and brown sugar with your hand. Keep stirring with your fingers until you feel the mixture getting thick and resistant, then mix in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s fully absorbed into the mixture. About 30 seconds for each addition. Cover with plastic-wrap and set aside in the fridge.

Now let’s make that Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter. In a food-processor, pulse the room temp butter with diced, fresh ginger until evenly pureed, scraping the sides a few times. Add the scallions, cilantro and purée until finely minced into the butter. This took a minute or two, set aside.

This dough is extremely sticky, so dust it with more flour as you go. Pull about 2 tablespoons of the dough and set it on a flour-dusted surface. Flatten into a thin disk with your hands, but making the edges gradually thinner than the center with your fingers.

Place a heaping scoop of filling, about 3 tablespoons, in the center, then pull the sides of the dough up and pinch it tightly to seal on the top. This dough is super stretchy, don’t be afraid. Then with your palms, gently pat and squeeze all around the pie to evenly distribute the filling, then set aside on a floured tray. Repeat with the rest. After two or three you’ll be a pro at this!

This made 12 small meat pies. Flash freeze the pies for about 1 hour until slightly hardened, then shape them into round cylinders about 1 1/2″ tall with flat tops and bottoms. I tried to do this but got a phone call, and when I came back they were a little too moist to squeeze and shape. I felt they were fine as is anyways. The dough started to stick and was thin so I didn’t take any chances to develop the taller look of these.

Coat the bottom of a flat non-stick skillet with 2 tbsp canola oil and heat over medium-high heat, then arrange the meat pies with about 1″ space in between. Once they start to sizzle, add 3 tablespoons of water and put the lid on immediately (the pies are thick so they need steam to help cook through). Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 6 minutes until the steam has fully evaporated, and the bottom of the pies are a crispy, golden brown.

Flip the pies and cover with lid only halfway. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the second side is golden brown as well.

Transfer to a serving plate, and rub the tops with the scallion butter and dust with chili flakes. Serve immediately with rice wine vinegar (optional).

To read the “story” behind these and to check out a wonderful food blog with a writing style I love (full of wit and vinegar) you can find Mandy over on Lady & Pups.

5 from 2 votes

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Forbidden City Chinese Meat Pies with Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter

Prep Time

2 hr 16 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

2 hr 28 mins

 

These Forbidden City Chinese Meat Pies with Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter are not your traditional pie per se, but more like Chinese potstickers on steroids. Adapted from Mandy’s Jaded Door Nail Meat Pies over at Lady and Pups.

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 10

Calories: 276 kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 2 cups + 1 tbsp 300 grams bread/high-gluten flour
• 1 cup 240 grams warm water at 125°F/55°C, plus 1 tbsp (15 grams)
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• Pork Filling:
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 cup finely diced scallions
• 3 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 3/4 tsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp cold water
• Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter:
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tbsp diced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup diced scallions
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Instructions

1. Dough: In a stand-mixer with dough-hook knead bread flour, 1 cup (240 grams) of warm water and salt on low speed for 3 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides if needed, until incorporated. Switch to high speed and knead for another 8 minutes until smooth and very elastic. Now add 1 extra tbsp of water and continue to knead on high for another 5 minutes, until the dough is shiny elastic. Adding the water in 2 stages increases the water-absorbency of the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic-wrap and allow to rest for 2 hours.
2. Filling: In a bowl, mix ground pork, diced scallions, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, ground white pepper and brown sugar with your hand. Keep stirring until you feel the mixture getting thick and resistant, then mix in the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until it's fully absorbed into the mixture, about 30 seconds for each addition. Cover with plastic-wrap and set aside in the fridge.
3. Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter: In a food-processor, pulse butter with diced ginger until evenly pureed, scraping the sides a few times. Add the scallions, cilantro and purée until finely minced into the butter. This took a minute or two, set aside.
4. Assemble Meat Pies: This dough is extremely sticky, so dust it with more flour as you go. Pull about 2 tbsp of the dough and set it on a flour-dusted surface. Flatten into a thin disk with your hands, but making the edges gradually thinner than the center. Place about 3 tbsp of filling in the center, then pull the sides of the dough up and pinch it tightly to seal on the top. Then with your palms, gently pat and squeeze all around the pie to evenly distribute the filling, then set aside on a floured tray. Repeat with the rest. This made 12 small meat pies. Flash freeze the pies for about 1 hour until slightly hardened, then shape them into round cylinders about 1 1/2" tall with flat tops and bottoms.
5. Cooking the Meat Pies: Coat the bottom of a flat non-stick skillet with 2 tbsp canola oil and heat over medium-high heat, then arrange the peat pies with about 1" space in between. Once they start to sizzle, add 3 tablespoons of water and put the lid on immediately (the pies are thick so they need steam to help cooked through). Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 6 minutes until the steam has fully evaporated, and the bottom of the pies are a crispy, golden brown. Flip the pies and cover with lid only halfway. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the second side is golden brown as well. Transfer to a serving plate, and rub the tops with the scallion butter and dust with chili flakes. Serve immediately with rice wine vinegar (optional).

Nutrition Facts

Forbidden City Chinese Meat Pies with Scallion Ginger Cilantro Butter

Amount Per Serving

Calories 276 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17g 26%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 44mg 15%

Sodium 390mg 16%

Potassium 268mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 0g

Protein 11g 22%

Vitamin A 6.4%

Vitamin C 3.9%

Calcium 2.7%

Iron 9.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Adapted from Mandy’s Jaded Door Nail Meat Pies over at Lady and Pups.