Xiaolongbao (Shanghai Steamed Soup Dumplings)

For the jelly, place 225 g pork skin and 450 g pork neck bones in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then immediately drain and rinse. Return everything to a clean pot, add 950 ml water, 2 slices of fresh ginger, 1 scallion and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; bring to a boil, cover and simmer over the lowest heat for 2 hours.

Strain the broth, let it cool, transfer to a container and refrigerate for 12 hours until set into jelly. Measure out 300 g of the set pork jelly and cut it into roughly 1 cm cubes.

For the dough, combine 130 g wheat flour with 90 ml warm water, knead for 15–20 minutes until smooth, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Beat 450 g ground pork with 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 0.75 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp sesame oil, 0.75 tsp sugar, 3 tsp soy sauce, 30 ml water, a pinch of white pepper and 10 g finely minced fresh ginger for about 2 minutes, until the mixture turns sticky; gently fold in the jelly cubes and chill the filling in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough into a rope, cut into pieces of about 11 g each and roll each one out into an 8 cm round, keeping the center slightly thicker; keep the rounds covered with a damp towel.

Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the center of each round, gather the edges into 12–18 pleats and pinch the top tightly closed so the broth doesn't leak out. Arrange the xiaolongbao in a bamboo steamer, spacing them about 5 cm apart.

Bring water in a pot or wok to a rolling boil, set the steamer over it so the water doesn't touch the dumplings, cover and steam over high heat for 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

To serve, pour black rice vinegar into small dishes and add thinly sliced fresh ginger; lift the xiaolongbao onto a spoon, make a small hole in the side to release the steam, then carefully sip the broth.