Chinatown Pork Dumplings

Two cities in China claim to have originated pork dumplings. In Shanghai they are called “Pot Stickers” while as in Beijing they are known as “Little Dumplings.”

Legend has it they were created by mistake; in whichever town they were born.  Either way it appears that an imperial chef walked away from the stove where he was frying his dumplings.  When he returned, they had burned on one side.  Fearing punishment from the emperor, he admitted no error but just served his newly invented dish.

Whatever you elect to call these delicious dumplings, they are easy to make. The beauty in making these is that they can be produced with store bought wrappers and produced in stages.  I like to make my filling the day before stuffing the dumplings.  As the recipe calls for approximately 36 dumplings, you can freeze whatever you don’t plan to serve to your guests.

Ingredients:

Dumpling filling

¾ pound Napa cabbage, finely minced

12 ounces lean ground pork

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

2 teaspoons sesame oil

¼ teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced

1 tablespoon chives, finely sliced (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

For making dumplings and pan-frying

14-oz packages Twin Marquis dumpling skins, defrosted

5 tablespoons peanut oil

1 cup cold water

Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar (you can also substitute with Chinese white vinegar or distilled vinegar)

1 tablespoon Szechuan hot chili oil

1 tablespoons chive, finely chopped, for garnishing

Cooking instructions:

1.    Place finely minced Napa cabbage in a bowl and add salt. Mix thoroughly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to draw out the moisture from the cabbage.  Drain, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Set aside.

2.    To make the filling, using a food processor, add ground pork mixture and seasonings (soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, salt and sugar) give it 10 pulses. Then add drained Napa cabbage, scallions, chives, garlic and ginger and pulse 10 more times. Remove mixture and put in a separate bowl.  Refrigerate covered for 4 hours or overnight.

3.    To make the dumplings, defrost dumpling wrappers. Work with one dumpling wrapper at a time, keeping the others under a wet paper towel to avoid drying out. Place a wrapper in your hand then add 1 ½ teaspoon of filling placing it the center of the wrapper. Wet the edges with water. Then pinch wrapper together first in the middle to seal. Then, use your index finger and thumb to seal one side up to the center. Repeat on the other side. (There are videos showing this technique. Also, you can make a fancy pleat to close the dumpling but, in my book, that’s too fancy!)  

4.    To pan-fry the dumplings, heat 3 Tablespoons of peanut oil in a large skillet (cast iron, if available) over a medium high heat.  Place the dumplings in the skillet in 3 rows of 6 dumplings each, touching lightly.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until browned.  Do not turn over! Then, remove skillet from heat and add 1/2 cup water. Return to heat and bring back to a simmer. Immediately cover and steam for 4-5 minutes until the water has evaporated. Periodically move the skillet back and forth so that dumplings do not stick and will brown evenly.  Remove dumplings from the pan and drain on a paper town. Cover to keep warm.  Repeat with the second batch. Turn off heat and transfer to a heated dish and garnish with chives. Serve with dipping sauce.

5.    For the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and allow to rest for 30 minutes. (This can be done the day before and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.)  Then, place sauce in individual bowls for dipping. 

Note: If you want to make the dumplings in advance, they can be frozen for up to 2 months. To cook, defrost on the counter for 10-15 minutes before pan-frying as directed. 

Makes: 36 dumplings

Wine recommendation:  Traditionally, pork dumplings are served with Green or Oolong tea. If, however, you prefer a wine, my go-to is a sparkling wine or even a Champagne, if the occasion is a celebration. You can also serve a Spätlese Riesling, Fino Sherry or a fruity Rosé, Beaujolais or Pinot Noir.