Chinese Meat Pastry Bites is cooked the way Chinese home kitchens cooks it — salt judged by hand, fat used generously, and the table set for sharing. This is the home version, written down the way a chinese family cook actually puts it on the table.
Chinese Meat Pastry Bites
Ingredients
- 300 gground beef
- 1onion
- 12pastry wrappers
- for fryingoil
- to tastefine sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Begin by finely dicing 1 onion. This will ensure that the onion cooks evenly and blends well with the ground beef, providing a balanced flavor throughout each bite.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 300 g ground beef with the diced onion. Add fine sea salt and black pepper to taste, mixing thoroughly with your hands until the onion is evenly distributed throughout the beef.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil for frying to generously coat the bottom. Once the oil shimmers, add the beef and onion mixture, spreading it out evenly in the pan.
- Cook the beef mixture, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned and cooked through, and the onions are translucent and soft. The beef should be fragrant and slightly crispy in some areas, indicating it's ready.
- Remove the beef mixture from the heat and let it cool slightly. This step is crucial to prevent the heat from the filling from making the pastry wrappers soggy.
- Lay out 12 pastry wrappers on a clean surface. Place a spoonful of the beef mixture in the center of each wrapper, being careful not to overfill.
- Fold each wrapper over the filling to form a half-moon shape, pressing the edges together firmly to seal. You can use a fork to crimp the edges for a decorative touch and to ensure a tight seal.
- In the same skillet, add more oil if necessary and heat over medium heat. Fry the pastry bites in batches, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and crispy on both sides.
- Remove the pastry bites from the skillet and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Finish with a sprinkle of fine sea salt to enhance the flavors and serve immediately while hot and crisp.
From the cookbook
Authentic Chinese Cuisine
This recipe is from Authentic Chinese Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Chinese volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.