Comments on: Siomai sa Tisa – Way Tugpahay

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 04:06:26 +0000

Footloose, first of all I am not an Alexander. I stand by my original statements above. Appreciate all the good intentions but can’t always have the monopoly of facts even though you don’t think much of agar-agar, it is used by commercial kitchens. Amen.

By: Carol

Carol — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 15:56:06 +0000

There’s another delicacy in shanghai that’s probably easier to make. Seng Jian is like xiaolongbao but with thicker, siopaolike skin. It’s fried then water is added to the pan, then the pan is covered to steam it. Don’t stand in front of a person eating sengjian, there’s a tiny water gun hidden inside every bun! Mmmm I am craving forit now. I’d imagine that would be good with squirty lechon fillings. Speaking of squirty food, look what’s sold in china supermarkets hee hee https://trevorxfiles.com/urinating-balls-for-sale/

By: Marketman

Marketman — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:47:22 +0000

Carol, hahaha, I agree, some things you just buy… and from the sound of it xiaolongbao are one of those items…

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:05:10 +0000

Marketman, I’ve learned how to make xiaolongbao here in shanghai. The jellied cubes are made from boiling pig’s skin for hours and hours. Then cooled then sliced. It was boiled twice, I should look for that recipe and post the recipe next time. the stuffing is easy to make, it’s the act of stuffing that is difficult. Your proficiency in wrapping determines if your xiaolongbao becomes Dintaifong quality or 2rmb variety. What I’ve learned from that class is just to buy xiaolongbao at DTF. Much yummier and easier.

By: Marketman

Marketman — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:55:15 +0000

Alex and Footloose, thanks for that, I just had a eureka moment. I often make lechon stock and when its a really substantial one it turns into aspic as it cools. Didn’t realize that would be the perfect thing for xiao long bao… now I can make lechon xiao long bao’s… cool. While I do like the dish, my tongue gets burned rather easily, and I have seared it on exploding soup dumplings a few too many times… but may still give this a go…

By: Footloose

Footloose — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:27:32 +0000

Alexander, my life principle is only to look down on people when I am helping them up so condescension is one thing I stay away from all the time. Sorry if it seemed that way to you. Gulaman to me is either animal or vegetable gelatin and unflavored gelatin is obviously tasteless. What the Saveur people actually experimented on was pork stock that was reduced to such an extent that it gelled at room temperature. Now I can see cutting this to the chase by resorting to commercial gelatin but you still need a rich and flavorful broth to start with.

And on this note, I am off and see you all again after Easter.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:40:07 +0000

Footloose, you may think that gulaman will be a disappointment and a waste of time but that is what they use. Not need to sound condescending just because you are a chef. There was an extensive article in Saveur Magazine about it. The dimsum chefs of Shang Palace do the same. They chop it up finely before incorporating it into the meat mixture. The liquid does not leach out because the wrapper mixture is different from regular dumplings. I learned how to do this from a dimsum chef so this is not hearsay.

By: Footloose

Footloose — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:18:55 +0000

Stymied by winter but heartened by the groundhog’s prediction of early thaw, have nothing better to do than revisit the previous comments. Nina suggested xiao long bao is too timing dependent and it’s true. Wait too long and the soup vanishes into the wrapper. MM said freeze your stock, presumably, in ice trays but if you have well and truly reduced your stock into a solid jell, dicing it is enough. A concentrated and well flavored stock will naturally deliver a satisfying burst of soupy goodness (and tear-falling heat if you’re not careful) on your first bite. Unflavored gulaman will just guarantee disappointment, flat taste and insipidness. A waste of time and effort if you ask me.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:44:06 +0000

Xiao Long Bao is not made with an ice cube inside. The secret to make the broth appear after steaming is actually adding chopped up jellied agar-agar (gulaman) in the meat mixture. When you steam it, it liquifies. Ingenious isn’t it? Who would have guessed it was that simple.

By: Footloose

Footloose — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:38:48 +0000

Being a long-time visitor, I would not say peculiar. It is more of a feature. The “fancy” posts are there just as ornaments but market is still the overriding operative word, even if the market may be in other parts of the world. A day to day diet of tuyo has to be broken with some lechon from time to time while a steady diet of lechon is simply lethal.