Pan-Fried Beef Buns with Cilantro and Garlic Chives

First, prepare the filling: Combine the 1 lb 80/20 ground beef, 1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro, 1 1/2 cups chopped Chinese garlic chives (or 1 cup green onions), 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp coarse salt, and 1/2 tsp white pepper in a bowl. Mix until the filling is well combined. Chill the filling in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your buns.

Use the steamed bun dough from the book "Mooncakes and Milk bread." After the first proof of the dough, punch it down and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a smooth ball. Working with one ball at a time, roll out the dough into a 4-inch round. Fill the center with 1 1/2 tbsp of the prepared beef filling. Pleat the edges of the dough to close the bun and place it on a square of parchment paper.

Cover the assembled buns with a towel and proof for a final time until they are about 1.5 times their original size (this usually takes 30 to 45 minutes).

To cook the buns: Steam them in a bamboo steamer for 10 minutes. After steaming, turn off the heat and let the buns sit in the steamer (still on the pot) for 5 minutes. This step helps prevent the buns from collapsing or wrinkling. Remove the buns and repeat the steaming process with any remaining buns.

For extra crunch, pan fry the steamed buns. Heat a pan with a light drizzle of oil. Place the steamed buns in the pan and pan fry for about a minute on each side until golden and crispy.

Enjoy your pan-fried beef buns!