# How to Make Fresh Pork Shumai Fresh pork shumai features a filling made from pork with a 30% fat to 70% lean ratio, enhanced with winter bamboo shoots, pork jelly, and shiitake mushrooms. Steamed to achieve translucent wrappers and juicy fillings, each bite releases a burst of savory broth, blending salty and umami flavors, showcasing the refined essence of Jiangnan cuisine. Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★★ ## Essential Ingredients and Tools - Shumai wrappers - Ground pork (30% fat, 70% lean; for a low-fat version, use pork tenderloin or pork shoulder) - Minced ginger - Minced green onions (use only the green parts) - Light soy sauce - Cooking wine - Salt - Sugar (optional) - White pepper (optional) - Sesame oil - Broth or bouillon cube - Winter bamboo shoots (optional) - Pork jelly (optional but recommended) - Shiitake mushrooms (or rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms, optional) - Shrimp (optional) - Lard (or chicken fat) (for low-fat version) - Compound food thickener (45% kappa-carrageenan, 35% guar gum, 20% potassium chloride) (or cornstarch) (for low-fat version) - Steamer liner (Recommended order: oiled bamboo mat, grass mat, bamboo leaf, perforated silicone baking paper. Traditionally grass mats were used, but perforated silicone baking paper is more common now) ## Calculations Before each preparation, determine how many servings you plan to make. One serving is sufficient for 2–3 people. Per serving: - Shumai wrappers: 240–465 g (approximately 24–31 pieces; it is recommended to use 30 wrappers of 10 g each) - Ground pork: 300 g (use 280 g of pork tenderloin or pork shoulder for the low-fat version) - Minced ginger: 5–10 g - Minced green onions: 10–20 g - Light soy sauce: 15 mL - Cooking wine: 10 mL - Salt: 3–5 g (reduce by 3 g if using a bouillon cube) - Sugar: 2–3 g - White pepper: 2 g - Sesame oil: 5 mL - Broth: 30 mL - Bouillon cube: 6 g (House brand recommended, approximately 1/8 of a cube) - Winter bamboo shoots: 50 g - Pork jelly: 100 g - Shiitake mushrooms: 75 g (or 30 g of dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated) - Shrimp: 100–200 g (approximately 20–25 pieces) - Compound food thickener: 1.2 g (or cornstarch: 2 g) - Lard (or chicken fat): 15 g ## Instructions - (Low-fat version) Take 10 mL of cold water, add the compound food thickener, and mix into a paste. - (Low-fat version) Add 25 mL of boiling water and stir until a semi-transparent gel forms. - (Low-fat version) After cooling, mix in 280 g of lean ground meat + 15 g of melted lard (or chicken fat). - Mix the ground pork with minced ginger, minced scallions, soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Stir in one direction until the mixture becomes sticky and elastic. - If using bouillon cubes, dissolve one cube in 15 mL of hot water, stirring until the emulsion is fully dispersed, then add 15 mL of room-temperature water. - Slowly add water or broth while continuing to stir, until the filling absorbs the liquid and becomes viscous. If the meat filling is too thick, add another 5 mL of water and continue stirring. - Add optional ingredients (winter bamboo shoots, aspic, shiitake mushrooms), drizzle with sesame oil, and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. - Take one shaomai wrapper and place about 20–25 g of filling on it (don't overfill, or it won't wrap properly). - Gently pinch the edges of the wrapper with the heel of your hand to form a "vase" shape, leaving the top open. - Gently press the bottom with your fingers to ensure it stands stably. - If adding shrimp, place one shrimp on top. - Repeat the wrapping process until all shaomai are prepared. - Place them in a steamer basket, ensuring they are spaced apart to prevent sticking. - Steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes. ## Additional Notes - The fat in shaomai primarily comes from fatty pork. In the low-fat version, after removing the fatty pork, a small amount of animal fat is used to compensate for texture. - If shaomai wrappers are unavailable, you can use large wonton wrappers or roll out dumpling wrappers thinly. - The wrapper diameter should be between 8–10 cm, with each wrapper weighing approximately 10–15 g. The ratio of wrapper to filling should be controlled at 1:2 to 1:2.5. - It is recommended to use the medium setting on the meat grinder. This ensures the ground meat is not too fine (like a paste) nor too coarse (like chunks), maintaining a moderate texture for a bouncy filling. - Using 5 g of minced ginger and 10 g of minced scallions avoids overpowering the fresh meat flavor; using 10 g of ginger and 20 g of scallions resembles dumpling filling. - When wrapping shaomai, apply a little oil to the heel of your hand to prevent the sealed end from sticking. - Remember to place the shaomai in the steamer only after the water has boiled, so the wrappers do not collapse. - If made in excess, store at -18 °C in the freezer. Frozen shaomai require steaming for 12–15 minutes. - They taste better dipped in rose rice vinegar. You can also pair them with Tongxiang chili sauce, chili oil, light soy sauce, or shredded ginger according to your taste. - Reference: [【Fresh Meat Shaomai Step-by-Step Photos, How to Make Delicious Fresh Meat Shaomai】Xiao Shem l_Xia Chu Fang](https://www.xiachufang.com/recipe/106527847/) If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull Request.