'Cuapao' with savory beef filling
MANILA, Philippines – If Americans love their burgers, the French stick to their sandwiches, and the Japanese make their own sandos, and the Vietnamese will not trade their Bahn Mis for anything, the Chinese people have spread their baos (steamed buns) to the whole world and made everyone love them.
Chinese baos, which are better known as siopao (if whole and sealed with filling), cuapao (when opened in the middle to put filling on them), and mantou (when presented without filling), are actually steamed breads.
Because they are more or less neutral in taste, they are very versatile and may be served with various kinds of savory fillings. This one, California Raisins Soy Braised Beef Bao, by Chef JM Sunglao is one unique version of Chinese baos and shows just how extensively you can play with flavors when it comes to making baos.
Proud of his bao, Chef JM recently featured this snack food in a cooking demonstration he conducted for California Raisins at the World Food Expo 2026 (WOFEX 2026). He shares his recipe and encourages everyone to make it at home.
California Raisins Soy Braised Beef Bao
Ingredients:
180 grams California Raisins
1 1/2 kgs. beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (for sauce base)
8 cloves garlic, smashed
50 grams ginger, sliced
2 pcs. whole star anise
1 pc. cinnamon stick
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
120 ml. Shaoxing wine
250 ml. light soy sauce
40 ml. dark soy sauce
500 ml. beef stock
30 grams brown or muscovado sugar
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsps. toasted sesame seeds
Procedure:
1. Sear the beef. Season beef lightly with black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in pressure cooker using the sauté function. Sear beef in batches until deeply browned on all sides, then remove and set aside.
2. In the same pot, sauté garlic and ginger. Add star anise, cinnamon stick, and Chinese five-spice powder, and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Deglaze the pot with Shaoxing wine. Stir in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, beef stock, muscovado sugar, black pepper, and California Raisins. Return seared beef to the pressure cooker.
3. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 40 to 50 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 20 minutes.
4. Make the sauce. Carefully remove beef and strain the braising liquid, reserving the cooked California Raisins. Blend half of the cooked California Raisins with 250 ml. of the braising liquid until smooth. Return the purée and the remaining whole California Raisins to the rest of the braising liquid. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick, glossy, and coats the back of a spoon.
5. Prepare the beef. Shred beef into large, bite-sized pieces. Return beef to the reduced sauce and simmer for 10 minutes to absorb the glaze.
6. Assemble. Steam the bao buns for about 5 minutes or until soft. Spread chili garlic mayo inside each bao. Add approximately 70 to 80 grams of the California Raisin Five-Spice Soy-Braised Beef. Top with pickled cucumber and onions, fresh cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, and crispy fried shallots. Serve immediately.
Yield: 12 baos
RELATED: Recipe: Bicol's Toasted Siopao
