My siomai's not so secret recipe.

It was summer of 2013 when I handed my resignation paper to my manager and went home jobless. Clueless of what the future hold but hoping something good is going to happen. Fortunately, our neighbor who is living in the same apartment complex I rented, knows how to cook practically every restaurant bestseller. She told me she used to work for a Chinese family as a household help where she learn how to cook dishes like siomai. She was generous enough to teach me how to cook it. And that is how I started cooking siomai as a side hustle when I was unemployed.

Although her recipe is not unusual however it is more comprehensive than those you see in youtube. I guess they do not really want to share the secret.

The siomai I am talking about is the common siomai we normally eat here in the Philippines, in Chinese fastfood and restaurants. I am not really sure how it taste in some other part of the world or if the original recipe in Mongolia which happens to where it originated is the same siomai I usually cook and eat.

Most people love it steamed while some fry it. My personal preference is steam siomai as a side dish along with vegetable lumpia dip in sweet chili sauce and a few pieces of 'puso' (boiled rice wrapped in heart-shape coconut leaves).

In this blog I will not be sharing you the step by step in cooking siomai because it is all over the internet, instead I will share with you some tips based on my experience that will make your siomai attempt successful.

The ingredients

1 kg ground pork
1/2 cup thinly chopped carrots
1 cup minced white onion
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tsp MSG or Magic sarap ( not sponsored )
1/2 tsbp iodized salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsbp oyster sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
2 medium eggs
1 cup corn starch
1 tsp binding powder
2 pack medium siomai wrapper

Tip no. 1; the selection

It is already given that we should always select the best ingredients but we also need to consider where to sourced it when we are doing it for business.

There are several wrappers in the market so make sure it is intended for siomai.

Tip no, 2; the preparation

I understand that there are readily available ground pork in supermarkets but if you have the time I highly suggest to grind it fresh using the belly and the ham part in equal portion.

When using the utensils / cutleries, make sure you separate those you use for your raw ingredients and those for cooking. (Food safety 101)

Tip no.3; the process

Once you have mixed all the ingredients, do not cook it right away. Let it rest for 6 to 12 hours allowing the meat to absorb the other ingredients.

Bonus tip;

Enjoy what you are doing. Prepare it with enthusiasm. And cook it with passion.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert about siomai so any suggestion or tips is highly appreciated.

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