Culinary Travel: Chinese Beef Pie – Beijing

Chinese meat pie or Xian Bing is a very popular and tasty comfort food in the northern part of China. The idea is similar to that of the potsticker, but with a much bigger size. It has a crispy crust and a juicy filling. The cooking method is similar to that used for potstickers, too – using a soft piece of dough to wrap raw filling and grilling it in a frying pan.

Ingredients
3 and 3/4 cups (18 ounces) all-purpose flour and extra flour to coat hands
1 cup water

Beef Filling
12 ounces ground beef
1 egg
1 large onion, chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 thumb ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of ground Sichuan peppercorn (or black pepper)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the pie
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

The Dough
Add flour to a large bowl. Add water gradually and whisk flour with a pair of chopsticks (or fork), until water is fully absorbed by the flour. Dust both hands with dry flour and knead the dough. If there's dry flour that is difficult to blend into the dough after 5 minutes, blend in more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead until there is no dry flour in the bowl. The dough should feel springy and you should be able to easily pick it up without it sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Cover the dough with a clean, damp dish towel (or plastic wrap). Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, until its surface becomes smooth.

The Filling
While allowing the dough to rest, prepare the vegetables. Ten minutes before the dough is ready, combine beef and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with a spatula.

Assembly
Add oil to a small bowl and prepare a small brush. Dust both hands and a large cutting board with dry flour. Transfer the dough to the cutting board and knead for another 5 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and put one piece back in the bowl and cover it with the damp towel (or plastic wrap). Knead the other half a few times and roll it into a ball. Press it into a flat circle. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a thin round disc, about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) thick.

Brush a thin layer of oil on top. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over it and brush it again until evenly spread. Roll the round sheet into a long stick. Divide the stick into 5 equal pieces.

Pinch the two ends of each piece to seal the oil inside. Press the dough (the sealed ends are toward left and right) and gently roll it into a thin round disc. This step is help to create layered crust.

Scoop 3 to 4 tablespoons of beef filling and place it on one side of the pancake, in a half-moon shape, as if making a quesadilla.

Fold the empty half over and press the edges together by hand. Turn the edge upward and press it again to further seal the pie. Set pie aside and work on the rest of the dough in the same manner.

Heat a medium sized nonstick skillet over medium heat until warm, about 1 minute. Brush oil onto meat pie. Place it into the skillet, oil side down. Brush the top side with oil. Cover skillet and cook over low heat until the bottom side turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side, covered again, until golden brown. Transfer the meat pie to a plate. Cook the remainder of the meat pies the same way.

Serve warm by itself or with a vinegar dipping sauce.

Notes
Do not mix the filling too soon before the dough is ready. It will make the filling watery later. 

Preparation time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Serves: 10

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