Pork Dumplings | Recipe
Get Dumped
with us. it's better than being dumped alone.
The ancient art of potstickers is a guarded secret that we share with you today, the true art is that you can put whatever you would like inside of the delicious dumpling wrapper (though we would recommend at least staying within the meat + veggies realm and not getting real crazy with like cream cheese or something).
For the perfect savory dish, here's what we recommend using--though feel free to swap the meat out:
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/2 lb fatty pork (80% lean / 20% fat)
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
salt + pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional spice)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tbsp shao xing wine
1 egg
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp black rice vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp five spice
sesame seeds to top (optional)
1 package dumpling circular wrappers (for the pleating style to the left). White for pan-frying / boiling and yellow just for boilling
1 cup of water (to wrap the wontons)
fried garlic to top (optional)
1. Create the delicious dumpling filling.
Finely chop the scallion and cilantro (you'll also want to chop a little additional for garnish). Add chopped the chopped herbs, soy sauce, sesame oil, shao xing wine, black rice vinegar, egg and spices into your pork. Make sure you try to purchase 80% Lean, 20% Fat pork. This will be more juicy than the 90% lean mix. Get in there with your hands and mix all of the ingredients together.
2. Create the delicious dumpling shape.
Holding one of your round wonton wrappers, place a spoonful of the filling inside. Make sure you leave enough space to fold your dumpling; this isn't a Chipotle burrito! Dip your finger in the bowl of water and wet the outer edges of the wrapper.
Fold the dumpling in half like a taco. Pull the front edge forward and pinch to crease, if the pleat isn't holding, you can use more water to seal. Continue pleats on the side you started until you reach the edge (should only be 1 or 2 more pleats). At the edge of the dumpling there will be a small air pocket. Poke that in with your thumb and press together. Make as many dumplings as you want. It's very therapeutic, just like a spa day (except that it ends with you to eating dumplings). This video can help your wrapping skills (for wrapping method only start at 4:45). Close all air pockets at the edges to make sure none of that delicious wonton filling seeps out!
Pull the front edge forward and pinch to crease, if the pleat isn't holding, you can use more water to seal. Continue pleats on the side you started until you reach the edge (should only be 1 or 2 more pleats). At the edge of the dumpling there will be a small air pocket. Poke that in with your thumb and press together. Make as many dumplings as you want. It's very therapeutic, just like a spa day (except that it ends with you to eating dumplings). This video can help your close all air pockets at the edges to make sure none of that delicious wonton filling seeps out! Some flour on your cutting board/table will help to make sure these potstickers aren't super stuck to your hands :)
**If you make a shit ton of potstickers at this point, you can freeze a bunch for later!
3. Cooking your delicious dumplings.
Pan fry - Add 3 tablespoons of canola oil to a skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the dumplings, making sure that they are not touching. Fry them for 5-6 minutes, or until the bottoms develop a crispy brown surface. Now, add a splash of water and cover with a lid. Once the water has evaporated, remove the lid and let the dumplings pan-fry a little longer to have a nice crispy bottom. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (see below for recipe).
Boil - Cook for 8-10 minutes in boiling water. Check out the folding method for boiled wontons here.
Steam - Place all the dumplings in a rice cooker steaming tray (it will have holes to let steam in). Add 1/3 cup of water to the bottom the cooker. Place the tray in and steam for 15 minutes.
With any of these methods, you'll want to garnish with your remaining chopped herbs.
4. Dip your delicious dumplings.
Create a dipping sauce with a few simple ingredients:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon black rice vinegar
chili oil
You can mix the above ingredients in a small dish or heat it up in a pan if you like. If cooking in a pan, you can add a few drops of chili oil and sesame oil and simmer for 30 seconds, stir it all up then pour it in a serving bowl. You can also add chili oil on top or have in a separate dish to dip! Now enjoy your delicious dumplings. Any of the extra uncooked dumplings can be frozen and saved for later!
