Char Siew (BBQ Pork) Cupcakes

If we can have char siew bao (BBQ pork buns), why can't we have char siew cupcakes, right? The idea has been floating around in my head for a while, and finally, last weekend, I did it!

Did it work? Well, subtly sweet cupcakes with sticky-savoury-sweet-rich-and-hearty BBQ pork filling and topping?
It worked like magic, just like conditioner on my frizzy tangled hair :D

Plus, making these cupcakes should be wayyy easier than making char siew bao.
PS. Not that I know how to make char siew bao...saw it on TV, and believe that I wouldn't be able to do it >.<
PS II. Crazy me. Why would I even think of making char siew bao? I live in HONG KONG for freak's sake :D
Anywayyy....

Recipe
I simply reduced the sweetness of a basic muffin recipe and tried to recreate the flavors of char siew bao filling.

The Char Siew Filling & Topping
- 1/2 lb of store bought BBQ pork or char siew, diced, not too finely, we still want a bit of a bite (about HK$10 and you'll have some leftover, buy HK$20 and you can keep some for lunch/dinner)
- 2 shallot, thinly sliced
- oyster sauce, dark soy, sugar, olive oil
- water (not hot), corn starch

If char siew is not something that's easily available in your area, then you're doomed. Kidding! Simply replace it with BBQ chicken/other meat ala you....or if you wanna make your own char siew, go for it, plenty of recipes are available online. Unfortunately, since I haven't tried any of the recipes, I can't recommend one :(

If you have char siew, we're ready to rumble!
Saute shallot in olive oil until fragrant and softened, add diced char siew, add oyster sauce, just a little dark soy, and a few tsp of sugar. Keep tasting until you reach a balance of savoury and sweet. Thicken the filling with about 3 tsp of corn starch in a bit of water. We want the filling and topping to be pretty thick, not runny, so that it won't leak when placed in or on top of the cake.

The Cake
- 1 cup of self raising flour (or 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder)
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder (or a pinch of salt)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 175C. In a mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients, make a well, and pour wet ingredients which has been mixed in another bowl. Whisk until just combined, pour 1 big tbsp of cake batter into muffin tray lined with paper cups, add about 1.5 tsp char siew filling, top with cake batter until the paper cup is almost full. Bake for 10 minutes, add about 1 tsp of char siew filling on top of each cake, continue to bake for 10 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.


Hmmm~ breakfast...with a cup of hot tea.

Speaking of char siew cupcakes, I'm not the only crazy one. A good friend of mine, Jason Bonvivant made his version of char siew cupcakes too! Check it out la~