This Chinese Meat Pie is a real treat—after all, how often do you eat a meat pie? This one is extra exciting. It’s not dense like you might be picturing, but rather layered with a chewy dough and a delicious pork and scallion filling.
Add the flour to a large mixing bowl, and level it off so it’s flat. Slowly add ½ cup boiling water to half the flour on one side of the bowl, mixing it in with a pair of chopsticks or a stiff rubber spatula. On the other side of the bowl, mix the other half of the flour with ½ cup of room temperature water.
Knead the two mixtures together by hand for a few minutes, until you have one rough dough ball. If the dough is still stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons of warm water and knead until the dough reaches the desired texture. If dough is sticking to your hands, simply scrape them clean with a rubber spatula, then flour your hands to knead any pieces back into the dough. Cover with an overturned plate and rest at room temperature for 1 hour while you make the filling.
In a separate bowl, mix the ground pork with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, salt, and five spice powder, if using. Next, stir in the oil until well-combined. Lastly, mix in the chopped scallions. Set aside.
Transfer your rested dough to a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead a few times to smooth it out, and cut the dough in half. Cover one half and set aside. Roll the other half into a long sheet, about 8x24 inches (20x61cm).
Spread half the filling evenly over the dough, keeping a ½-inch (1cm) border of dough around it. Gently pick up one end of the dough and fold it onto itself by about 4 inches, repeating until you’ve folded the meat pie closed. Pinch the seam and ends closed so the meat pie is completely sealed.
Over medium heat, brush a nonstick pan oil. Place the meat pie in the pan seam-side down. Use a spatula to gently press the top of the pie to make it a little thinner. Cover, and cook for 8 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 8 minutes, until the pie is golden brown and slightly puffed in the center. Flip the meat pie again and cook each side for another 2 minutes to crisp them up and ensure the filling is cooked through.
Transfer the meat pie to a cutting board, and cut into halves or thirds to serve. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make a second meat pie.
Notes
To reheat leftovers, cook in an oiled frying pan over medium heat along with a few drops of water. Cover to let the steam warm the meat pie, and then do the same for the other side. Remove the lid, let out the steam, and crisp the meat pie for a few more minutes on each side before enjoying.