HowToCook

Fresh Pork Shaomai

Fresh pork shaomai uses a 3:7 fat-to-lean pork filling, blended with winter bamboo shoots, aspic, and shiitake. Steamed to a semi-translucent wrapper with a juicy center, one bite releases a burst of broth with a savory-salty balance, showcasing the delicacy of Jiangnan.

Difficulty ★★★★Updated 1/25/2026

Ingredients and Tools

  • Shaomai wrappers
  • Ground pork (fat-to-lean 3:7; for a low-fat version, use pork tenderloin or pork shoulder)
  • Minced ginger
  • Minced scallion (green parts only)
  • Light soy sauce
  • Cooking wine
  • Salt
  • Sugar (optional)
  • White pepper powder (optional)
  • Sesame oil
  • Stock or concentrated soup base
  • Winter bamboo shoots (optional)
  • Aspic (optional but recommended)
  • Shiitake (or rehydrated dried shiitake, optional)
  • Shrimp (optional)
  • Lard (or chicken fat) (low-fat version)
  • Compound food thickener (kappa-carrageenan 45%, guar gum 35%, potassium chloride 20%) (or cornstarch) (low-fat version)
  • Steamer liner (recommended order: oiled bamboo mat, grass mat, zong leaf, perforated silicone paper; traditionally grass mat, now more often perforated silicone paper)

Measurements

  • Shaomai wrappers 240-465 g (about 24-31 pieces; recommend 30 pieces of 10 g each)
  • Ground pork 300 g (low-fat version uses pork tenderloin or pork shoulder 280 g)
  • Minced ginger 5-10 g
  • Minced scallion 10-20 g
  • Light soy sauce 15 mL
  • Cooking wine 10 mL
  • Salt 3-5 g (if using concentrated soup base, reduce by 3 g)
  • Sugar 2-3 g
  • White pepper powder 2 g
  • Sesame oil 5 mL
  • Stock 30 mL
  • Concentrated soup base 6 g (recommended Knorr brand, about 1/8 cube)
  • Winter bamboo shoots 50 g
  • Aspic 100 g
  • Shiitake 75 g (or dried shiitake 30 g, rehydrated)
  • Shrimp 100-200 g (about 20-25 pieces)
  • Compound food thickener 1.2 g (or cornstarch 2 g)
  • Lard (or chicken fat) 15 g

Steps

  • (Low-fat version) Take 10 mL cold water, add the compound food thickener, and mix into a slurry
  • (Low-fat version) Add 25 mL boiling water and stir until a semi-transparent gel forms
  • (Low-fat version) After cooling, mix into 280 g lean minced pork + 15 g melted lard (or chicken fat)
  • Mix ground pork with minced ginger and scallion, add soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, sugar, white pepper powder, and stir in one direction until it becomes sticky
  • If using concentrated soup base, take the cube and mix with 15 mL hot water, stir until fully dispersed into a milky liquid, then add 15 mL room-temperature water
  • Slowly add water or stock, keep stirring until the filling absorbs the liquid and becomes sticky; if it feels too thick, add 5 mL water and continue stirring
  • Add optional ingredients (winter bamboo shoots, aspic, shiitake), then drizzle in sesame oil and mix well. Chill for 30 minutes to let flavors meld
  • Place about 20-25 g filling on a wrapper (do not overfill or it will not close)
  • Use the tiger mouth of your hand to gently gather the edges into a "vase" shape, leaving the top open
  • Gently press the base with your fingers to ensure it stands stable
  • If adding shrimp, place one on top
  • Repeat until all shaomai are wrapped
  • Place in the steamer with space between to prevent sticking
  • Steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes

Notes

  • The fat in shaomai mainly comes from fatty pork; in the low-fat version, since the fat is removed, a small amount of animal fat is needed to compensate for texture
  • If you do not have shaomai wrappers, use large wonton wrappers or roll dumpling wrappers thinner
  • Wrapper diameter is 8-10 cm, each wrapper weighs about 10-15g, keep wrapper-to-filling ratio at 1:2 - 1:2.5
  • Use a medium setting for the grinder so the meat is not too fine (like paste) or too coarse (like chunks), keep a moderate texture for a springy bite
  • Using 5 g ginger and 10 g scallion is less likely to overpower the fresh pork flavor; 10 g ginger and 20 g scallion tastes more like dumpling filling
  • When wrapping, rub a little oil on your tiger mouth so the seal will not stick to your hand
  • When steaming, wait until the water is boiling before placing in the steamer, so the wrappers do not collapse
  • If making extra, freeze at -18 ℃; frozen ones need 12-15 minutes to steam
  • Tastes better with rose rice vinegar; you can also pair with Tongxiang chili sauce, chili oil, light soy sauce, or shredded ginger to taste
  • Reference: [Step-by-step Fresh Pork Shaomai, how to make it delicious] Xiao shenme l_ Xiachufang. If you follow this guide and find issues or improvements, please submit an Issue or Pull request.