Pork Dumplings

Ingredients

Wrappers:

  • 300g all-purpose flour

  • 150g hot water (just boiled)

  • 4g salt

Pork Filling:

  • 1 lb ground pork

  • 2 cups finely chopped Napa cabbage

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

  • 5 scallions - thinly sliced

  • 1 tbsp ginger - minced or microplanned

  • 3 garlic cloves - minced or microplanned

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos

  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 tbsp mirin or honey

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp kosher salt

  • 2 tbsp cornstarch

  • 1/2 tsp lemongrass powder

Directions

  1. Start by adding the flour and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the hot water and mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead with your hands for 4 minutes. Leave the dough at room temperature, covered, to rest for 1 hour.

  2. While the dough is resting, start on the filling. In a large bowl, add the cabbage along with a large pinch of salt. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture from the cabbage.

  3. While the cabbage is sitting, prepare the rest of the ingredients (cilantro, scallions, ginger, and garlic).

  4. Once the cabbage has sat, strain the excess moisture and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Squeeze the cabbage to remove as much water as possible, then add it back to the bowl along with the pork, cilantro, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, salt, cornstarch, and lemongrass powder. Using your hands or a spatula, mix until extremely well combined. Place the bowl of filling in the fridge while you prepare the wrappers.

  5. Once the dumpling wrapper dough has rested, weigh it out and divide it in half. Work with one half at a time, keeping the other half covered. Roll the dough into a long, even log. Find the middle point and slice the log in half. Continue slicing the dough in half until you have 18 equally-sized pieces.

  6. To roll out a wrapper, take one of the pieces and press it into a small circle with your palm. Using a rolling pin, place it in the middle of the dough and press down, rolling towards you. Rotate the dough about 60° to the right and repeat, placing the pin in the middle, pressing down, and rolling towards you. Repeat this process all the way around, then roll around the edges once or twice more to smooth the wrapper. The wrapper should be about the size of your palm, around 3–4 inches in diameter. Be sure not to stack the wrappers without dusting them with a little cornstarch so they don’t stick together. Here is a good visual to help!

  7. Remove the filling from the fridge and prepare to assemble the dumplings. Fill a small bowl with water and place it near your workstation. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. To the center of each wrapper, add about 1 tablespoon of filling. Dip a finger in the bowl of water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper by pinching one end together, then create 4–5 pleats to seal the rest of the wrapper. Pinch the opposite end closed. Place the finished dumplings on the prepared tray and continue until you have 18 dumplings. A visual guide to help you learn!

  8. Repeat these steps with the other half of the dough until you have all 36 dumplings. If freezing, place the sheet tray in the freezer for 1 hour before transferring the dumplings to an airtight container. This first freeze will prevent them from sticking together.

  9. To cook, line a steamer with parchment paper. Whether you're using a bamboo steamer over a pot of boiling water or a sheet tray in a steaming oven, steam the dumplings for 10–12 minutes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

 
 
Notes

  • There is simply nothing better than a fresh homemade dumpling, but making them can feel daunting. It can be hard to translate technique through words, so I’ve linked a few videos that do a spectacular job of explaining things visually, which I hope you take advantage of. Remember, you can’t get better at something without trying, so I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone in the kitchen and try something new. No matter how they look, I’m sure they’ll taste great!

  • If you don’t eat pork, feel free to substitute chicken or beef. I hope you use my recipe as a guide, and once you get the hang of it, experiment with your own ideas for your dream dumpling filling. Enjoy and have fun experimenting!

Tools I used:

SavoryElla CirinoDumpling, fall, warm, pork, cabbage, easy, soupComment