Ning Meng then retrieved another food storage container from the refrigerator. Inside was the pork filling she had prepared earlier and left to chill. The meat mixture was an enticing shade of pink, and the fragrance of scallions and ginger was faintly detectable.
Ning Meng carefully poured the diced gelatin into the bowl of meat. Instead of using chopsticks or a spoon to stir it vigorously, she used her hands, folding the gelatin bits into the filling with gentle, tender motions. Her movements were delicate, as if she were cradling something fragile and precious. She simply ensured the glistening little cubes were evenly distributed throughout the meat, rather than crushing or mashing them.
"You must never mix the gelatin in too early or too forcefully," she explained. "If it's added too soon or stirred too roughly, the gelatin reacts with the salt in the meat and liquefies before it even hits the heat, which ruins the texture. You have to fold it in gently so the pieces stay hidden within the filling. Only then, when they melt during the pan-frying process, will the moment you bite into the pan-fried bun cause that 'pop' of piping hot, savory broth. That is the soul of a pan-fried bun!"
Chapter 98