Pork Siomai

Pork Siomai are Chinese dumplings steamed stovetop. These are wrapped in wontons, thin wrappers made of flour and water. My version consists of the favorite filling of ground pork, shrimps, water chestnuts, soy sauce, rice wine and seasonings. Filling and shaping is done by hand, and each dumpling resembles a tiny, open cup, with pleated sides of the wonton. Steam the siomai and serve with a side dipping sauce of soy sauce sprinkled with calamansi. Serve as an appetizer, side or main dish. This is a recipe by Elizabeth Ann Quirino for The Quirino Kitchen.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Filipino

Keyword: Pork Siomai

Servings: people

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

Large multi-layered steamer, for stovetop
Mixing bowls
chopping board
Rimmed plate to fit inside steamer; Tip - I use a pie plate.

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound fresh shrimps, peeled, heads and tails removed; chopped
2 stalks scallions, whites, chopped fine; greens, sliced for garnish
3/4 cup chopped water chestnuts (canned, drained)
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons xiao xing rice wine or dry sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce; like Silver Swan or other Filipino brands
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package wonton wrappers, square-shaped; about 40 pieces

For egg wash to seal wontons:

1 whole egg
1/4 cup water

For side dipping sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons calamansi or lemon juice

For serving

steamed rice

Instructions

Prepare steamer :

Fill the bottom pan of the steamer with water to the brim.
Cover and start turning heat to a high. It takes time for the water to boil.

To make the pork filling:

In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, chopped shrimps, scallion whites, chopped water chestnuts, eggs and bread crumbs.
Add the rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix ingredients well with a large cooking spoon.

To fill the wonton wrappers :

Prepare the egg wash by mixing the egg and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl.
Make sure wonton wrappers are thawed at room temperature.
Take one wonton wrapper and place in the middle of the palm of your hand.
Put a tablespoon of ground pork filling in the center of the wonton wrapper.
Moisten the sides of the wrapper with a few drops of egg wash. Brush lightly, you do not want to drown the wonton wrapper and make it soggy.
Gather the sides of the wonton wrapper, by closing your cupped hand to seal the sides. The dumpling should look like a tiny open cup with pleated wonton wrapper sides. It should have the shape of a flower.
Put each uncooked siomai aside after wrapping individually.
*Tip: Place the uncooked siomai in a plate or plastic container and refrigerate for about 1 hour. This keeps the siomai firm and in shape.

To cook the Pork Siomai

Take the rimmed plate and spray the bottom with cooking spray. This is important - do not skip this step, or the siomai will stick to the plate and be difficult to remove after cooking.
Place about 18 pieces of dumplings in a pre-greased rimmed plate that can fit inside the steamer.
Leave about 1/2 inch space between the dumplings - they tend to expand as it cooks.
Do not overcrowd the siomai or the wrappers will stick together, making it hard to separate.
Place the plateful of siomai inside the second layer of the steamer (the pan with holes at the bottom).
Cover the steamer.
Steam the siomai over boiling water and high heat, for about 25 to 30 minutes.
The pork must be cooked thoroughly.
When cooked, remove the siomai carefully from the steamer using a long pair of tongs. Arrange siomai on a large platter. Garnish with sliced green scallions.
Serve warm with the side dipping sauce of soy sauce and calamansi and rice if it is a main course.

Cook's comments:

Ingredient substitute: Swap finely chopped carrots for the water chestnuts if preferred.
Xiao xing rice wine is an aromatic cooking wine made of fermented glutinous rice. This is a standard ingredient in most Chinese cooking, which adds to the savory flavor and aroma.
Storage: Keep leftover Pork Siomai in covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or put them in plastic containers and freeze for up to 1 month.
Tip: Make a batch of siomai ahead if you have time. Then keep the uncooked dumplings in a plastic container and freeze. This keeps for up to 2 months. When ready to cook, thaw the siomai at room temperature (do NOT microwave), then steam on the stovetop accordingly.
Siomai Rice Pearl Balls: If you don't have wonton wrappers, but have rice, here's a different way to wrap Pork Siomai - click here for my Siomai Rice Balls recipe.

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