Char Siu Puff Pastry (Char Siu Sou)
Store-bought flaky puff pastry and char siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) makes this iconic Cantonese bakery item easy to recreate home!
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb char siu (Chinese BBQ pork, store-bought or homemade)
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (store-bought)
- sesame seeds
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 large shallot or onion
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp hoisin
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
Egg wash:
- 1 egg for brushing the pastry
- 1 tsp water
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Take the frozen puff pastry out of the box to thaw at room temperature. This usually takes about 30-45 minutes.2 sheets frozen puff pastry
- Dice the char siu and shallot into small chunks (~1/3 inch) and set aside.3/4 lb char siu , 1 large shallot
Make the BBQ pork sauce
- Heat up a pan on medium heat, and add neutral oil.2 tbsp neutral oil
- Once the oil is warm, add the diced shallots. Cook until softened but not overly browned, or about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder.2/3 cup water, 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tbsp hoisin, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch and room temp or cold water until the cornstarch is fully dissolved.2 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water
- Make sure the sauce is at least simmering, then add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Stir immediately to incorporate.
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the diced char siu and sesame oil. Mix well.1/4 tsp sesame oil
Assemble and bake the pastries
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Once the puff pastry has thawed, unfold the sheets and roll them out (an extra half or 1 inch) to form a square.
- Cut both sheets into 9 equal squares to get a total of 18 squares. Place the squares onto a baking sheet.
- Place a scoop (about 1-2 tbsp) of char siu in the middle of each square. Fold over the squares to form triangles (or rectangles if you prefer). Make sure there’s at least 1-2 inches of space between each pastry.
- Press the edges lightly to seal, and crimp the edges with a fork. With the fork, poke a few holes on the top of each pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Beat 1 egg with water, then brush all over the puff pastry. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each pastry.1 egg, 1 tsp water, sesame seeds
- Bake for 14-15 minutes (in a countertop oven) or until golden. A traditional oven may take a few minutes longer, up to 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
