Ingredients:
Dough:
• 400 g all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 220 ml water
• neutral cooking oil for coating the dough
Filling:
• 300 g ground beef
• 100 g green onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cumin
• ground pepper, to taste
• neutral oil for frying
Directions:
Dough:
• In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, and water until a shaggy, rough dough forms and no dry flour remains.
• Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap.
• Let it sit undisturbed for 20 minutes. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and jumpstarts gluten formation automatically.
• Uncover the dough.
• Knead it thoroughly for 5 minutes.
• Divide the smoothly kneaded dough into 8 equal pieces.
• Roll each piece against your work surface with your hands to form a short cylinder or log shape (about 3–4 inches long).
• Pour a few tablespoons of oil into a shallow baking dish or tray.
• Roll each dough log in the oil until every single surface is heavily coated.
• Arrange the oiled logs side-by-side in the dish.*
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let them rest at room temperature for 1 hour. This removes the elasticity and makes the dough incredibly stretchy.
Filling:
• In a medium bowl, vigorously mix the ground beef, chopped green onions, minced garlic, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, salt, cumin, and ground pepper.
• Stir rapidly in one direction until the mixture looks sticky and cohesive.
• Divide the meat mixture and roll them into 8 firm, equal-sized meatballs.
• Place them in the fridge to stay firm until you are ready to assemble.
Assembly:
• Take one oiled dough log.
• Using your hands, flatten it and gently pull and slide it across your counter covered in oil into a very long, paper-thin, translucent rectangle ribbon.
• Place 1 beef ball at the bottom edge of your dough ribbon.
• Lift the bottom edge of the dough over the meatball, tuck it tightly under, oil the rest of the strip and begin rolling the meatball forward away from you.
• As you roll the meatball up the ribbon, gently pull the loose sides of the dough ribbon outward and drape them over the ball. This completely encloses the meat and seals in the juices.
• Once you reach the end of the ribbon, pinch the final seam closed.
• Set the ball down seam-side down.
• Use the palm of your hand to gently press it into a flat, thick disc.
• Repeat for all 8 pies.**
Frying:
• Preheat 1/4 inch of sunflower oil in a skillet on medium-low.
• Arrange your assembled shaobing pies directly in the skkillet, leaving a small amount of space between them.
• Cover the skillet with a lid.
• Fry for 5 minutes, turning the pies from time to time. The trapped steam will cook the raw beef thoroughly.
• Remove the lid completely.
• Continue frying on medium-low for another 5 minutes, turning them from time to time, until the moisture evaporates and the crust turns a deep, shatteringly crispy golden brown.
• Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Serve hot!
Tip:
* You can pre-make the dough the night before and then assemble the pies the next day:
• Place the oiled dough logs in your dish, seal it tightly with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out, and put them straight into the refrigerator overnight. (Take a sheet of plastic wrap and press it directly onto the surface of the dough logs, smoothing out any large air bubbles. The oil on the dough will help the plastic stick right to it, creating a perfect airtight barrier. Take a second, larger sheet of plastic wrap and stretch it tightly over the top rim of the entire dish, pressing it firmly against the sides to completely seal the container.)
• The next day, make your beef filling balls.
• Take the dough out of the fridge about 20–30 minutes before assembling so it can come back up to room temperature (cold dough is stiff and hard to stretch)
** You can also freeze the preassembled pies and fry them at a later day
• Line a baking sheet or a large flat plate with parchment paper or wax paper.
• Arrange the flattened pies on the tray in a single layer, ensuring they do not touch each other.
• Place the uncovered tray completely flat in the freezer for 2 hours. This hardens the exterior dough instantly so the pies lock in their shape.
• Once the pies are frozen solid like hockey pucks, transfer them into a heavy-duty Ziploc freezer bag. Try to press out as much air as possible before zipping it shut.
• They will stay perfectly fresh in the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months.
• When you are ready to eat them, do not let the pies thaw on the counter.
• Cook them directly from the freezer using the Cold Oil Frying Technique:
• Place the rock-solid, frozen pies straight into the cold oil.
• Turn the heat to low (slightly lower than your usual medium-low).
• Cover with a lid.
• Fry them covered for 8 to 10 minutes (instead of 5), flipping them occasionally. The extra time on low heat under the lid is necessary to completely defrost and steam-cook the raw beef center.
• Remove the lid, turn the heat up slightly to medium-low, and fry uncovered for another 5 minutes (turning from time to time) until the layers puff up and shatter-crisp into a deep golden brown.
