How to Make a Beef Puff

Beef puff is one of the many wonderful Chinese bakery dishes that can be found at dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong. It is made with a rich short pastry dough that is brushed with egg wash to give it that signature sheen that you would expect from a dim sum dish. The filling is a mixture of ground beef, curry spices, garlic, ginger and onions that are wrapped in the pastry and then baked. It is typically served with a dipping sauce that is either lemon or pomegranate molasses based. You can also serve it with a salad of fresh greens.

If you are interested in trying a different variation on this classic dish, try making it with Guinness Extra Stout beer instead of the wine. The alcohol cooks out during the cooking process and it adds a lovely flavor to the dish.

The beef is cooked in a mixture of vegetable oil, onion and garlic until the onions are caramelized and slightly softened. Then the ground beef is added and cooked until browned. Next, the curry powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and sugar are mixed in with the meat and stirred together. Finally, the salt, black pepper and cornstarch are added to create a slurry that is poured over the top of the beef.

Once the beef is cool enough to handle, spoon it onto each pastry square, leaving half an inch of space around the edges. Then fold the corners of the pastry up and over the beef filling and crimp the edges to seal. Brush each pastry with beaten egg for an even golden color and place on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Chill the curry puffs in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before baking. بف لحم