Shortcut Plain Steamed Buns

At Viet parties or special events, Chinese-style roasted meats accompanied by small steamed buns are usually on the menu. Shaped like half-moons, the plain buns are used like rolls: they are split open, a morsel of roast pork, duck, or char siu (barbecued pork) is tucked inside, and if there is a sauce, a little is drizzled over the meat. The resulting tiny sandwich is a great hors d’oeuvre or starter course. Steamed buns made from scratch take time. It is worth the effort to make your own dough for filled buns. But when you want the buns only as a small side dish, a shortcut may be in order. I learned a trick from my Chinese American friend Victor Fong, who revealed that his mom always used refrigerated biscuit dough to make the plain steamed buns she served at home. (In their 1976 book The Gourmet Chinese Regional Cookbook, Calvin and Audrey Lee mentioned a similar practice, describing it as a “guiltily traded secret in America’s Chinatowns.”) The shortcut buns are surprisingly light and spongy, a perfect counterpoint to the rich meats. Serve them with slices of Honey-Roasted Duck Legs, Char Siu Pork, or roast pork or duck bought in a Chinese barbecue shop.