The food item we call cua pao does not seem to appear in the Chinese culinary vocabulary. Yet, it appears prominently in local versions of Chinese cooking. Cua pao is the generic term for folded steamed sweet buns with filling. And whether the filling is hong ma or pata tim, we call it cua pao.
Strictly speaking, the folded steamed buns are called manthao and they are available in some supermarkets. If you want to make cua pao at home, you can cook humba (the local version of the Chinese hong ma) or, alternatively, pata tim, slice the meat and use as filling.
You’re looking at home-made cua pao above. When I discovered frozen and ready-to-steam manthao at the supermarket yesterday, my next move was to buy a slab of pork belly. Despite the appearance of cua pao, it is not difficult to make at home. Humba is a very fuss-free pork stew and so long as you don’t intend to make the buns yourself, once the stew is done, it’s really just a matter of assembling. Of course, I want to be able to make manthao from scratch someday but that’s something in my to do list as of now.
Recipe: Humba
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg. uncut pork belly
- 2 tbsps. of black bean sauce (available in jars; if unavailable, use salted black beans (tausi), rinsed, and ground)
- 3 sprigs of oregano (I used fresh; use only half as much if using dried)
- 1 whole garlic
- 4 shallots (sibuyas Tagalog) or 2 small onions
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- salt, optional
- 3 tbsps. of cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat the cooking oil in a wide non-stick pan.
- When smoking, lower the pork belly, skin side up and cook over high heat for a few minutes, without touching, until seared. How do you know it’s sufficiently seared if you don’t lift the meat to check? Me, I can tell by the smell and by the volume of the sizzling. I suggest you let the pork fry for 4 minutes before lifting and checking the underside if it has lightly browned. When it is, flip the pork over and brown the skin as well to make it puffy.
- The oil will spatter — big time. If you have a screen to cover the frying pan, use it. If you only have the regular solid cover, cover the pan partially to make sure that the steam that build inside does not fall back in because that will make the pork soggy and cause even more oil spatters.
- When the pork is nicely browned, just add the rest of the ingredients, pour enough water to cover three quarters of the pork, bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for an hour and a half to two hours or until the pork is very, very tender. Turn the pork halfway through cooking. Add more water if the sauce dries up before the pork is done.
- Take the pork out of the sauce, place on a platter and cool. Meanwhile, strain the sauce and boil until reduced to about 3/4 cup.
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Cooking time: 2 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Recipe: Cua Pao
Ingredients
- cooked humba
- 12 pcs. of manthao (store bought)
Instructions
- When the pork has cooled, take the manthao out. That’s how they look. A rectangular piece of white bread folded in half and lined with paper underneath.
- So, place the manthao, in single layers, in steamer racks over simmering water. Reheat for 10 minutes or until hot and soft and the top spring back when poked.
- Place the cooled pork on a cutting board and slice as thinly as you can. Arrange on a serving platter, garnish with crushed peanuts and thinly sliced onion leaves. Pour some sauce over.
- To assemble: Unfold the manthao. Place a slice of pork and a little sauce inside. Top with crushed peanuts and onion leaves, refold and serve.
- You can assemble the cua pao before serving or serve the manthao, humba, additional crushed peanuts and onion leaves in separate plates and let the dinner make their own cua pao.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
This recipe seems interesting, would you know other term for manthao? would siopao buns do? We are here in Dubai and I only know very few chinese store. Maybe a common tern for manthao perhaps.
Thanx in advance. And kudos! very nice site.
Siopao already has filling so how can you slice it and insert the pork stew filling?
Hi Connie,
Just a clarification, is that 1 whole bulb of garlic or just one clove? Can I substiture cinnamon powder for the cinnamon stick? I’m afraid I don’t know where to get that here in Korea.
Thanks in advance.
Doddie
One whole bulb.
Hi Connie,
Sorry for making kulit, but how about the cinnamon stick? Is it ok to sub with cinnamon powder? I’m gonna make this tonight for supper (with rice and boiled eggs) with the leftovers for cuapao tomorrow.
Thanks again!
Doddie
Oops, sorry, missed your question. Actually, I’m not sure if that’s an okay substitution.
I think the Pork Asado I learned to cook from you can also be use as a filling for this bun.
We should do away without rice once in a while.That creation of yours look so appetizing and heavenly!
Hello po! Saang grocery po kayo nakabili ng ready to steam manthao?
Cherry Supermarket, Marcos Highway Antipolo branch.
Thank you, sana meron sa Cherry dito sa Shaw Blvd.
This looks very good. Humba is a dish we make often as a main entree and have never thought of using it as filling. I will try doing this sometime soon. Thanks!
On a sidenote, a friend and I have started privately blogging our culinary adventures and your site is a favorite! We’re both Filipinos but I live in Canada and he lives in Tacloban. The dishes you post are not very hard to make and your use of ingredients available in the Philippines is definitely a big PLUS! Thank you once again!
Hi Connie,
This reminds me of the ssam (Korean burrito) at Momofuku Ssam here in New York City:
http://amusesbouche.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/porkbun.jpg
Aggie, that’s a LOT of filling.
And I think adding slices of cucumber is awesome. I’ll try that with my cua pao next time.
Hello Ms. Connie,
You can also add Kiamchay(mustasa) in your cuapao. It will be more delicious.
I wanted to but my kids don’t like kinchay. Too bad, really, because we have kinchay galore growing along the entire length of the garden fence.
Hi Ms. Connie,
It’s not kinchay that I’m referring to. It’s kiamchay. It’s a mustasa preserved in salt. You can buy this usually in Chinese grocery store. But you have to cook it first before you add it as filling in cuapao.
Ah, okay. I’ll try and look for that. If I add them to MY cua pao only, my daughters can’t complain.
Hi Ms. Connie! Just a comment… I think CUAPAO is a Hokkien (Taiwanese/Fujian) term, but in Mandarin Chinese, it’s pronounced as MANTOU. In northern China this is a substitute for rice, because rice doesn’t grow there very well.
You should try seasoning your Humba with fermented tofu called KO KIAM in Hokkien Chinese, or Doufu Ru in Mandarin, instead of the bean paste. The taste will be more fragrant, with a slightly spicy undertone–about 2 tblsps of salted bean curd would do. (Humba actually comes from the term HONG MA, which means RED PORK–both the bean paste and Ko Kiam varieties have a reddish tinge, which explains the name.)
Thanks for the recipes!
Now where to find ko kiam… thanks for the suggestion though.
You can actually find some in STA. LUCIA mall grocery, it’s in the same aisle as the chicken nuggets (that long freezer aisle with bottles of olive oil, taco mix, etc etc above the freezers… i think it’s near the middle, in front of the fish section.)
Chinese groceries have it too. There are two variants: a very red, non-spicy kokiam (you can see it from a glass bottle) and a clear spicy one (it’s like it’s in brine). The latter is exquisite mixed with hot, steaming white rice, and nothing but. You should try it, it’s very satisfying.
Thanks! That’s near enough for me.
And I think I’ll get both. Your description of mixing the clear one with rice makes me drool LOL!
Very glad you posted the cuapao recipe. But how does one make the bread? I’ll have to give it a try. It was a favorite treat of mine when I lived in Manila and I miss it.
Also, forgive me but what is Kinchay in English? I liked it in the cuapao I used to get in Makati but I don’t know what that is exactly.
In doing research, I’ve seen it referred to as coriander/cilantro, italian parsley, and chinese celery… And since I’m familiar with coriander and Italian parsley which I grow in my garden – I’m fairly certain that these are not the KINCHAY I had tasted in my cuapao (I’ve a good taste memory)…. That leaves chinese celery leaves which I’ve seen around here but never used them before. Am I close to identifying what KINCHAY is???? Please advise.
Kinchay is Chinese celery. NOT the same as cilantro.
hi,is cinnamon stick same as cinnamon bark…thats the only one i saw in the market…tnx always…
Yes, the same.
I tried this last nite and my family loved it!!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Ms. Connie! This looks really yummy,….. Just want to ask you where you bought your bamboo steamers… I have some but they don’t have the stainless borders. Hope to hear from you! Thanks!
Cooks Exchange at SM Megamall.
miss connie pwede po kya cinnamon powder instead of stick? ska ano po difference kung pork shoulder ang gamitin ko.thanx..
Ah that I do not know.
hi miss connie. the pic looks so yummy. would love to try it. but confused lang po ako kasi nasanay ako na there’s vinegar in humba, the visayan version and it has a sweet taste. does your own version of humba have a sweet taste too? thanks.
Hi Connie,
There is an americanized version of the cua pao, which they call mamofuku’s pork belly buns and you can find the recipe here:
http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/diaryofafoodie/2008/04/porkbellybuns
When I prepare the cua pao at home, I add some chopped pickled mustard leaves, a slice of salted eggs, chopped peanuts and hoisin sauce. Messy to eat but quite good.
Thanks for the yummy humba recipe, my boys loved it. Thank you for sharing your recipes.LOVE ALL OF IT!