My mom and dad disagree on the best way to microwave char siu bao. Both agree that steaming them is the best approach. However, that’s not easy to do with the 6-packs from Ranch 99.
Anyway, Dad thinks that microwaving 30s on the top and 30s on the bottom is the way to go. Mom prefers wrapping the bao with a damp napkin and microwaving for 40s. Who do I agree with? Personally, I prefer my mom’s approach. I feel that it makes the bread softer and more moisturized.
Unfortunately, the 99 Ranch buns were extra hard and dry this time. Even with my mom’s approach they were hard to chew and swallow. On Tuesday, one of the buns got stuck in my throat, provoking nasty symptoms (like extreme fatigue).
After Tuesday, I half wanted to throw away the rest of the lot, but the conservative side of me looked for other answers. At first, I was resigned to portioning out each char siu bao half at a time and eating tiny bits carefully; luckily, on Friday I came across an unexpected solution: soaking. (Come to think of it, I might have found this solution before.)
A quick dip in hot liquid makes the bread just the right firmness and really easy to swallow. What I do is eat out all the parts of the bao that are normal / tender and break off the rest for dipping. With this approach, finishing up the rest of the pack should be no problemo.
PS: won’t buy any more 99 Ranch char siu bao buns for a long time coming
