Recipe: Shay Shay Tien's Pow (2024)

Steamed meat buns, called pow in Trinidad (an adaptation of the Chinese term bao) are a local favorite in Trinidad. It is widely agreed that the ones made at Shay Shay Tien, Trinidad's oldest Chinese restaurant, are the best. Owner Johnson "Chin" Achong shared the recipe when I was researching my cookbook. I like the flavor of hoisin and black bean sauces, but traditionally, char siu sauce is used, and you may do so here as well by simply substituting the char siu sauce for the amount of the hoisin and black bean sauces combined. To make miniature pow for an appetizer or starter, cut 6 pieces from each dough rope in step 5 and only use 1 rounded teaspoon of filling for each pow. Red food coloring is authentic for the look of the filling, but you can omit it. The recipe is adapted from my book Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago (Hippocrene 2010).

Jean Paul Vellotti for NPR

Recipe: Shay Shay Tien's Pow (2)

Jean Paul Vellotti for NPR

Makes 20

For The Filling

3 cups water

2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt

1 star anise pod

3/4 pound boneless pork butt or shoulder

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground anise

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon black bean sauce

1 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)

For The Dough

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup, plus 3 tablespoons (plus 1/2 teaspoon) sugar, divided

1/2 cup warm water (100 degrees)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg white

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening melted with 1 tablespoon hot water

20 (5-inch) squares waxed paper

For The Filling

Bring 3 cups of water, the salt and anise pod to a boil in a large pot. Add the pork and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the pork, cool and cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Discard the anise pod.

Heat the canola oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onion and garlic and fry on medium-high until dark brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and discard. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the dark brown sugar to the oil and let it caramelize for 1 to 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the pork and stir well. Brown the pork on all sides, then add ground anise, hoisin sauce and black bean sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until nearly dry.

Add the red food coloring and mix well, so all the pieces of pork are evenly colored. Cook until totally dry. Remove from the heat and cool completely. (The meat may be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated.)

For The Dough

Place the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a deep bowl and add the warm water. Set aside until foamy.

Combine the flour, baking powder and remaining sugar together in a bowl using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, egg white and melted shortening. Mix at high speed for 4 minutes, then at the lowest speed for 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and highly elastic. Test the dough by pressing it with your finger — it should spring back without leaving a mark.

Jean Paul Vellotti for NPR

Recipe: Shay Shay Tien's Pow (4)

Jean Paul Vellotti for NPR

Flour a clean dry work surface. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. With your hands, roll the pieces of dough into ropes about 3 inches in diameter. Cut each rope into 5 pieces. Knead each piece for 30 seconds, then form into a ball. Set the dough balls on a floured surface.

Flatten one ball of dough into a 3-inch disc. Place a heaping tablespoon of the pork mixture in the middle of the disc. Gently pull the edges of the disc around the filling and pinch together to form a sac. Then gently twist the edges together and push down into the dough ball. The pow should be a smooth, round ball.

Place the filled pow, seam side down, on a square of waxed paper in a bamboo or metal steamer insert. (If you do not have a steamer, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Fill a large casserole dish or other oven–safe dish with 4 cups of water and place on the lowest rack of the oven. Arrange the pow on the cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Brush pow evenly with egg wash -– 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water. Bake until risen and lightly browned. Place in the oven on the middle rack.

Repeat until all the pow are filled. (Do not crowd the pow in the steamer tray; allow 2 inches of space around each pow. If you do not have a bamboo steamer with more than one tray, set some of the pow on waxed paper on a flat surface.) Allow the pow to rise until their diameter has doubled. If your kitchen is warm, this will occur by the time all the pow are separated and stuffed. If not, cover the steamer trays with damp towels and set aside in a warm place. Set the steamer trays in a wide pot with enough water to rise 1/4 of the way up the bottom tray, being careful that the water doesn't seep into the tray and touch the pow. Bring the water to a simmer and steam the pow for 15 minutes. Serve warm. (Pow can be reheated in a microwave for 45 seconds on high or in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.)

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Recipe: Shay Shay Tien's Pow (2024)

FAQs

How long does pow take to cook? ›

Once risen,steam the Pow (covered) for 12-15 minutes. We use an Asian bamboo steamer over a pot of boiling water, which works perfectly. If a steamer is unavailable use a colander over boiling water. Just ensure they don't touch the water surface or they'll get soggy.

What is pow made of? ›

Pow is something that is familiar and loved by most, if not all, Trinis. They are basically steamed buns filled with a savory filling (usually pork, but chicken and vegetarian variations also exist).

What is pow in Trinidad and Tobago? ›

Ramin Ganeshram. Steamed meat buns, called pow in Trinidad (an adaptation of the Chinese term bao) are a local favorite in Trinidad.

What is Siopao in English? ›

Siopao or hot buns is a type of dumpling with a sweet pork filling.

How to make bao buns without a steamer? ›

- Put a small amount of water in a wok, and put a small bowl onto the wok - Place a plate with some greaseproof paper on top of the bowl (you can also use a large saucepan if you wish) - Bring the water to boil - Put the baos onto the greaseproof paper - Place a tall lid on the wok, or a flat lid if you are using a ...

What does POW mean? ›

abbreviation for prisoner of war : He was a POW during the Vietnam war.

What does kung POW taste like? ›

What Does Kung Pao Chicken Taste Like? Americanized kung pao chicken is savory and sweet with a mild spicy kick. The peanuts really bring together the dish and give it a rounded, nutty flavor.

What was life like as a POW? ›

Forced to carry out slave labour on a starvation diet and in a hostile environment, many died of malnutrition or disease. Sadistic punishments were handed out for the most minor breach of camp rules. Most prisoners of war (POWs) existed on a very poor diet of rice and vegetables, which led to severe malnutrition.

Is Pow a war crime? ›

Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, POWs acquires the status of protected persons, meaning it is a war crime by the detaining power to deprive the rights afforded to them by the Third Convention's provisions.

How many Chinese POWs survived WWII? ›

Out of the thousands of Chinese who were captured, mostly by the Japanese army, and became prisoners of war, only 56 were found alive after the war ended.

How long does it take to steam pow? ›

Place each Pow onto a piece of wax paper of greased piece of foil. Cover and allow to rest for an additional 10 minutes. Use this time to prep your steamer. Steam Pows for 15 minutes.

How do you cook frozen Pau? ›

Place frozen bao into a stove top steamer basket or basket of rice cooker. Steam over boiling water for about 10-12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°f. Note: Steam bao from frozen, do not thaw. Flash Frozen Dumplings- 3 easy methods to prepare: boiled, steamed or pan fried.

What are bao buns made of? ›

Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough. Made with a mix of flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, milk and oil, the bao is a tad sweeter than its closely related cousin, the dumpling.

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